The Differences Between Us
by GigiLuVe
Summary: Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.
1. The Switch

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Welcome one and all! I am so happy to present this idea because I have had it on the shelf for a while now. There really was no other universe to do this one in except for X-Men: Evolution. I chose a rating of T just to be on the safe side. I don't exactly know how this is going to turn out, but I don't expect anything terrible. Just to start things off, I am not entirely sure how this is going to play out. I usually don't have a particular ending in mind with my stories, but rather like for the readers to leave ideas and suggestions. That is to say, I do like reviews, like everyone else on here, I am sure. I also want to say that I am a total Kitty/Lance shipper and Rogue/Remy shipper. Again, I am not entirely sure where this is headed, but romance could come into play. Just one more thing before starting, I created the mutant as a catalyst for the story. Again, I don't know if this person will come into play later on, but if there is any similarity to a mutant already created, that is pure coincidence. Now, enjoy!

 **Chapter 1 – The Switch**

"Why do you, like, always make everything so difficult?" Kitty Pryde roared at her roommate as they made their way down the road.

"Maybe I just like to see you squirm," Rogue jested, not making the situation any easier.

"Haha, like, very funny," Kitty mocked. She crossed her arms over her chest and attempted to continue their path in silence. However, it wasn't so easy for her. Eventually her arms dropped to her sides in a defeated manner and she sighed, exhausted. "You, like, always do this, Rogue. Now we have to walk all the way back to the mansion."

Rogue heard the sadness in her voice and immediately sobered up. "I-I'm sorry, Kitty. Those guys just get on my nerves, that's all. You wouldn't understand."

She really hadn't meant to start a fight with the Brotherhood, especially since they were their only ride back to the mansion that afternoon. Lance had gone out of his way to offer the gesture to Kitty and whoever else needed it, what with Scott being called away to investigate the appearance of a new mutant. Of course the boys fended for themselves, which was easy with Kurt's teleportation. So that just left Kitty and Rogue; and, this is where they ended up.

Rogue really didn't need Kitty to be mad at her again. She tried, she really did. Kitty just didn't understand. It came down to that.

Kitty hugged herself. "They, like, always do, Rogue. That's the problem. You need to, like, learn how to let things go. You take yourself too seriously. I think you're, like, the one that doesn't understand sometimes."

"Whatever you say, Kitty."

Kitty sighed again, finding herself a few feet in front of her roommate. All she wanted at the moment was time to herself—to think. She tried to include Rogue ever since she had really learned to get along with the loner. It always seemed as if her efforts were in vain, though. Rogue would always find some way to mess it all up. She just didn't understand, that was all.

"Maybe you should be angry at Kurt," Rogue tried. "After all, he was the one that left us to fend for ourselves."

"That's not, like, the point," Kitty insisted. "Lance was, like, trying to do something nice for us, and you, like, totally blew it."

Fed up, Rogue began to grow defensive and frustrated. "Listen, I'm not the one that rock-boy is trying to impress, so I could care less about making him feel welcome."

"And maybe that is, like, exactly what the issue is," Kitty said, flaring up to meet her. "You, like, don't care about anyone but yourself. Maybe if, like, you were aware of other people's efforts, you would, like, show some effort back."

"I do show effort," Rogue yelled. "I do the best that I can. You just don't understand."

"No, you don't understand," Kitty yelled with just as much tenacity.

Then the game of the cold shoulder began. They marched into the house ignoring each other completely, both set in their ways and unwilling to budge. It was like a storm cloud rolling in, and everyone in the house sensed it as soon as they saw the two.

Kurt stopped the game of indoor football long enough to inquire as to the situation. "Whoa, Kitty, what's with the tension?"

"Leave me alone, Kurt. You're, like, the last person I want to talk to right now," she stated coldly. "Well, other than her."

"If I'd have known a simple walk would cause you two to be at each other's throats, I would have-"

"I, like, don't need your help, Kurt!" Kitty interrupted angrily. She phased right through him to continue on her way, leaving him confused and rather hurt in her wake.

Kitty sat alone in the library next to one of the open windows. The fresh air did her better in there than it had on the walk home. She pulled out her schoolwork and began to slowly get through it. However, she found that the argument was still plaguing her mind, preventing her from fully concentrating.

"Stupid Rogue," she muttered to herself, throwing her pencil down for the fourth time. "Why can't she just, like, understand that I try to include her for her own good? She would, like, a total recluse if she didn't, like, have me around. She doesn't understand how much social activity I turn down for her or, like, how much I stick up for her."

She sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was tired of fighting this battle, for it was certainly one she had fought before. She realized that they were two very different people, but there had to be some understanding somewhere. All she knew in that moment was that she couldn't keep worrying about it. She had to finish this schoolwork or else face the wrath of her teachers the next day. And, she certainly wouldn't allow that to happen.

Meanwhile, Rogue found a comfortable and quiet seat in the dining room. She cracked a window behind her to allow some fresh air to clear her mind. It was just the beginning of fall and the breeze was still bearable. She threw her bag on the table with the intention of actually doing some of her homework. However, a juicy red apple in the fruit bowl was calling her name. She grabbed it and began to snack, leaning back in her chair and contemplating the fight that had just taken place.

"Kitty thinks she is so perfect," Rogue mumbled between bites. "She doesn't see how much I constantly try. It's exhausting. She wants me to be just like her, but we can't all be social butterflies. She doesn't understand that I simply can't. I am not comfortable being so…exposed with the way that I am."

She took a large bite of the apple, masticated it, and swallowed. She plopped all four legs of the chair back onto the ground then reached into her bag and pulled out one of her school books. She stared at it unenthusiastically and sighed.

"I hate math," she groaned.

xXx

As the two roommates got ready for bed that evening, neither had given in on the argument. Yes, they fought, probably more often than friends should. However, they were usually pretty good about making up in the end. It usually only took a few hours to a day. Never longer.

Kitty glanced up from her laptop diary and over at Rogue, who was in the middle of propping open their balcony doors. A small breeze came in and ruffled the curtains. She pulled the blanket up her body, being the type of person who got cold quite easily.

Rogue peered over her shoulder at Kitty's side of the room where she sat. "You aren't going to complain about this, too, are you?"

"No," Kitty sneered. She lowered her face into her computer again.

Rogue let out a noise of disgust and pattered back to her side of the room. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. "Make sure you turn that light out," she reminded, talking about the bedside lamp that was on for Kitty to see by.

"I always do," Kitty said, none too nice.

She watched her roommate roll over and fall into silence. Kitty finished scribbling a few sentences then placed the computer aside on her nightstand. She found a comfortable position and snuggled into the mattress. At the last moment, she poked her head up.

"Oh," she gasped then reached over and turned out the light.

xXx

The alarm blared noisily throughout the room, waking both of its occupants.

"Kitty, turn that off," Rogue said groggily, hardly rousing. Instead, she rolled in the opposite direction and lifted the blankets over her head.

"I'm trying," Kitty insisted.

Kitty stuck her hand out toward her nightstand, preparing to cease the annoying beeping. When she tried to phase her hand through the clock and it didn't stop, though, she tried it again and then again. Still, the alarm kept going.

"Oh, for real!" she grunted, annoyed.

She brought her hand up, ready to use full force to make it stop at all costs, and let it fall like a hammer. With nothing there to even catch her hand, though, the motion carried her straight to the floor. She fell out of bed with a big thud.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed. The surprise and the pain did the trick in waking her up.

She managed to gather herself into a seated position and glanced about, confused as to why everything was backward. First off, she was on the opposite side of the room, where Rogue's bed was supposed to be located. Her alarm was blaring from the other side, as well, sitting intact upon her nightstand. Even the armoire with Rogue's clothing spilling out of it was nearby versus against the opposite wall where it always was.

She rubbed her head, attempting to figure out what had happened overnight to create the change. The only thing that came to mind was that perhaps she had taken a walk in her sleep and moved into Rogue's bed. But, her roommate would have had to go along with her crazy shenanigans, which, after their fight the previous afternoon, wasn't likely.

The alarm kept going in the meantime, growing louder and louder. Finally having had enough of the annoying noise, Rogue sat straight up in bed, the covers falling off of her. "Fine!" she shouted, making sure she could be heard over the raucous. "I'll do it myself!"

As Rogue swung her legs over the side of the mattress, they caught the blanket, causing her to trip and fall while attempting to stand to fix the problem. She hit the ground hard, just as Kitty had, jarring her awake and taking in her surroundings.

Both girls surveyed the room as if it was a foreign place, steadily taking in one object at a time. Gradually they brought their gazes around to land on one another. At first they stared at each other to get some sort of answer as to who decided their room could use some feng shui and why. But then their eyes went wide in horror.

For, as Rogue glanced at her roommate, she found herself staring at, well, herself. It was her face, her pale skin, her morning hair sprawled on the floor beside her bed on her side of the room. For Kitty, it was the same, but what she saw was herself on her side of the room where she should have been. It was her body, her sapphire eyes staring back at her, her pink pajamas.

Both girls opened their mouths and screamed.


	2. Day One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** sifuXANA You are absolutely correct that she doesn't use it terribly often. It was partially the way she talks in the show and partially embellishing on it that I think created the way I write her dialogue. I am in the process of turning it down, though.

That actually brings me to my next point. I tend not to write in accents in dialogue, such as Rogue's southern twang. I find it somewhat difficult to stay consistent on and, yes, a little bit odd to read. So, though the dialogue isn't catered to the different accents in X-Men: Evolution, I figured that the readers are well enough aware of how the characters speak to imagine such things.

I also want to apology for the lengthy delay in updating. I am currently handling two stories on here, a full-time job, and a couple of other writing projects. I wanted to preface this chapter by saying it may start to get a little complicated from here. Basically, when I refer to Kitty, picture Rogue's body, and vice versa. I will still try to add short, simple explanations when it fits, but I don't want to get redundant.

 **Chapter 2 – Day One**

Kurt had been naively brushing his teeth in the communal bathroom when he heard the scream. Though it was somewhat impossible to differentiate one scream from the next with so many people in the mansion, there was one room in particular that he preferred to check before any other. So, despite still being in his pajamas, he teleported into the room shared by Kitty and Rogue.

"What's wrong?" he exclaimed, interrupting the screams, a toothbrush sticking out from between his lips.

The girls stopped, looking to Kurt for some sort of help, though they themselves didn't even understand what was happening.

He glanced at either girl still sitting on the floor. "Kitty, Rogue, what are you two doing on the floor?"

"Kurt," Kitty said desperately, standing and moving toward him, "Kurt, something happened to us during the night. We woke up like this." She held out her hands toward him, as if there was some foreign substance on them that he was supposed to inspect.

"Rogue, you need to calm down," he tried to sooth. Because, for Kurt, it was Rogue's body that approached him.

Kitty shook her head. "But, I'm not Rogue."

Rogue stood and approached him, as well. "She's telling the truth. I'm Rogue. That's Kitty."

He glanced between the two skeptically and scoffed. "Are you two trying to get me back for yesterday?"

"What? No," Rogue insisted.

"You're going to have to come up with something better than that to fool me," he replied proudly. "Besides, we have to leave for school soon. You should be focused on getting ready, unless you want to go in your pajamas." He waved a hand over his shoulder before teleporting away.

"That went well," Kitty said, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.

Rogue pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?"

"Me? Why would I ever want to switch bodies with you, Rogue? I wouldn't be surprised if you planned this as some sort of vengeance."

"Hey, I'm in the same boat as you, sister," Rogue insisted.

Kitty took a deep breath, trying to take control of the situation. "Alright, let's just, like, calm down. We are both very confused about what's happened and would like to get back to normal as soon as possible."

Rogue shrugged, deciding to work with Kitty, rather than against her, to solve the issue. "I agree. Though, I suppose we've been through worse."

"Speak for yourself," Kitty muttered.

Rogue glared at her.

She put up her hands as if to show she meant no harm. "I'm sorry."

"Listen, I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck like this for another minute. We've got to figure out what happened and how to reverse it."

"Do you recall anything strange last night? Anything that could have resulted in-in this?"

Rogue put her hands on her hips. "And what could have resulted in this, Kitty? It's not like this is a common occurrence."

Kitty shook her head. "Hey, I'm actually trying to, like, help here. Why don't you try to do the same?" Her fists clenched at her sides and strolled back and forth a couple of times, taking deep breaths. "This is the worst thing that ever could have happened!"

Rogue frowned. "I could think of far worse situations than being me," she said coldly.

"I didn't mean that. Well, I did, but…" Kitty took a deep breath, obviously getting nowhere. "It's just that I have a test today, and I can't very well take it looking like you. So that means…"

There was a pause then Rogue backed up a step. "No, no way. You do not want me taking a test for you, Kitty. It would be better to just call off sick."

"And break my perfect attendance record? I don't think so." It was easy to see the agitation and anger growing in Kitty; and, if there was one thing you didn't want to do, it was make Kitty mad. "We both know that this isn't some easy fix. We don't even know how we ended up this was, after all. So we might as well go about life as normal as possible. That includes attending school."

Rogue really didn't have a choice in the matter. "At least for you it will be easy. It's not like I talk much. I'm basically invisible. You, on the other hand…let's just say that I'll have my work cut out for me."

"Well then maybe you will finally understand what I have to go through on a daily basis. It's hard keeping up appearances." Kitty stepped toward her wardrobe. "And, speaking of which, I will pick out my own outfit for today." She paused. "Er, or, well, yours."

Rogue crossed her arms adamantly over her chest. "You are not dressing me up in some pink, poofy thing. Got it?"

"You don't have a say in the matter," Kitty told her.

Rogue sighed. "Fine, but don't think you're taking over my body. You'll wear what I say, too."

"What's the matter, Rogue? Don't you trust my keen fashion sense?" Kitty teased.

"It's not that I don't trust it, Kitty. I am just scared what I might look like when you've finished."

xXx

"Come on! We're going to be late!" Kurt called up the main staircase again.

It was the third time and still no Rogue or Kitty. They were both cutting it very close that day. Luckily, with his teleportation though, they could arrive at the school in a matter of seconds.

"Kitty! Rogue! Let's go!"

"We're coming!" Rogue called back as both girls appeared in a light jog. "Keep your shirt on."

Rogue, in Kitty's body, had been subject to her pastel wardrobe. She had been forced into her usual capris jeans and pink duster. The worst part, though, had to be the brown hair pulled up into a high ponytail and off of her face. Usually she used her hair as a sort of shield to hide behind.

Kitty had been put into Rogue's black leather skirt and green netted top. She was also given a pair of gloves with strict instructions to not remove them. Unbeknownst to her roommate, though, Kitty packed a couple of extra accessories to decorate her outfit with once Rogue was gone. Yes, they had decided it would be best to dress the other in order to keep up appearances, but what Rogue didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Evan Daniels, who had been waiting idly by, as well, cocked an eyebrow. "Kitty's got some bite," he drawled.

Rogue pointed a finger at him. "There'll be more where that came from if you don't watch it."

"I…She is just worried about her test, obviously," Kitty excused quickly, scowling at Rogue. "I'm sure she will be her normal, chipper self in a little while, though."

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "Yeah, we'll see about that. Can we get going now? Please?"

"Alright," Kurt instructed, "everyone hold on."

With one hand on Kitty's shoulder and one on Rogue's and Evan touching Kurt's, all four of the mutants were gone in a puff of smoke. No more than a second or two later, they rematerialized in a quiet location just outside of the Bayville school building.

"We'll see you girls after school," Evan called with a wave as the boys took off into the school.

Rogue and Kitty took a moment to themselves outside of the building, staring up at it in concern. It didn't seem like either was prepared to experience school life in the other's shoes. But, they didn't have a choice.

"So you've got my class schedule and I have yours. But remember," Kitty was explaining, "stay calm and try not to, like, stress out. You may end up accidentally phasing through things. Imagine yourself whole and solid."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Rogue muttered. "I'm more concerned about you, to be honest. You can't let anybody touch you, got it? Any skin-to-skin contact, anything at all, will-"

"I know, I know, they'll be out cold and I will have a new friend in my head," Kitty interrupted. She held up a hand, wriggling her fingers. "But that's why we have these."

"Exactly." Rogue watched Kitty examine her hand and the mobility of her fingers. "You'll get used to them."

Kitty sighed. "Well, are you ready for this?"

Rogue shook her head. "No, are you?"

"Not a chance." Kitty smiled, and with the school bell chiming in the background, the girls headed inside the building.


	3. Lance

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for not posting this chapter sooner. I suppose things kept happening to prevent it from being written. Ah, real life. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. I kept going back on forth on who I wanted to follow during this first day of school, but eventually I worked out a nice little plan. I do not necessarily want this to be all about romance and whatnot, but relationships will obviously be affected. So, at least this chapter is dedicated to the screwing with Lance's mind. Enjoy.

 **Chapter 3 – Lance**

Kitty kept tugging at the bottom of the black leather skirt, hoping that by some kind of magic it would grow longer. She didn't know how Rogue, the girl whose skin was as dangerous as a loaded pistol, could feel comfortable wearing such things.

After they had gone their separate ways, Kitty continued mentally repeating the schedule of classes that Rogue had. Though she prided herself on her memory and intelligence, she didn't want to mess anything up. Besides, having her mind focused on the new schedule wouldn't give it time to worry about how Rogue would fare on the test today.

Locating Rogue's locker wasn't the problem. But, as she approached it, she realized that all of her efforts of repeating the class schedule left her blanking on the code for the locker. She stopped and stared at the face of it, as if that would help her to remember. She tried turning the dial, as if the combination would fall into place.

Needless to say, it didn't.

Kitty sighed. "I suppose the books in her backpack will have to do for the day," she muttered sullenly.

She turned away, leaning against the locker in defeat. And, through the lines of her passing peers, she spied Lance Alvers and his small group of friends on the other side of the hallway. She straightened up, her attention being called elsewhere, forgetting everything else.

Kitty made her way toward Lance and his buddies. She weaved in and out of the crowds, most people moving to avoid her rather than the other way around. But, she didn't notice. She was mostly concerned with reaching Lance before he disappeared into his first class of the day.

"Lance," she called over the roar of the other students.

Not only did she receive a strange look from the male in question, but also from the surrounding students. She paid them no mind, though, for she couldn't figure out why they would be so curious to see her attempting to reach him. She could often be found chatting to Lance in the hallways of the school.

"Lance," she breathed, stopping in front of him, her usual smile on her face, "I'm glad I caught you."

Lance seemed stunned into silence for whatever reason. He glanced to either side at Todd and Fred before looking back at her. His curious expression turned into a scowl, and he seemed to instantly shut down. He did not appear interested in her or what she had to say.

This didn't sit right with Kitty. She didn't know whether to be concerned or angry. Immediately she thought that he might still be upset about the incident yesterday, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions.

She shook her head. "Is something wrong?"

"What do you want, Rogue?" he asked quietly, impatiently.

It took Kitty a moment before remembering whose body she currently possessed and that it was the cause of his unwelcoming looks. Though it wasn't something that could be easily forgotten, the sight of Lance had distracted her. She cleared her throat, attempting to adopt a posture and attitude that was more fitting of Rogue. Yet, at the same time, it hurt her to be so dismissive and uncaring toward him.

"Er, I guess I just wanted to apologize for yesterday," Kitty said as casually as possible, though seizing the moment.

Lance scoffed. "Why do you suddenly care, Rogue? Just leave it. Isn't that what we always do?"

"It is?" Kitty said, breaking character. She cleared her throat, realizing her mistake, though. "I mean, it is. I just figured for Kitty's sake that we ought to patch things up."

He shook his head, walking away. "That's a first," he muttered before she allowed him to depart.

She frowned, watching him go. That certainly hadn't gone the way she had hoped it would. Then again, she couldn't be surprised that neither Rogue nor Lance preferred the other's company. Perhaps it was his confirmation of her beliefs that Rogue cared nothing for other people, especially her roommate, and that she didn't even care to try to understand.

The bell sounded, waking her from her reverie. Luckily, her first class was nearby. But, unlucky for her, the teacher instructed use of the textbook that day. Kitty looked about at the people surrounding her. Typically, it wouldn't be difficult for her to find somebody that she could share with.

"Excuse me," she began to the girl sitting next to her. But, all she got in return was a snub.

So, she tried the student to her other side. This time, though, she couldn't even get the first word out before he scowled at her and lifted his shoulder in response. It became quite obvious quite quickly that Rogue didn't have very many friends. Whether that was her doing or her peers, Kitty couldn't say.

xXx

Rogue was about ready to lose her mind. This girl had been talking nonstop to her all of lunch. She kept scanning the cafeteria for any sign of Kitty to come and save her, but it seemed that she was on her own. If this was what Kitty had to go through on a daily basis, she rather preferred the solitude that she was used to.

Suddenly, she saw a moment. The girl had paused to take a sip of water, which was much the same as a miracle in Rogue's eyes. She seized the chance, for she was pretty sure that another would not present itself.

"Listen," Rogue stated roughly, "this has been…great. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to whatever it was you were talking about, but I-" she hesitated, trying desperately to think of some way out, "I've got to…powder my nose."

Rogue crinkled her nose at this. In fact, she didn't even know if it was something Kitty would ever say, but it sure seemed like it. So she stood up and pivoted, ready to walk out of the cafeteria. She should have known, though, that she wouldn't be able to get away that easily.

The girl gasped, standing quickly as well. "Oh, I've got to reapply anyway," she giggled in a very annoying manner. "I'll go with you."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Of course you will."

She led the way with the overly happy girl in tow. She really figured her life couldn't get any worse at that moment, but she was used to disappointment. Just as they had reached the hallway, she found the path in front of her blocked by none other than Lance Alvers.

"Kitty, can I talk to you?" he asked gruffly.

The giggly girl glanced between them with a knowing smile plastered on her face. It was quite obvious that Lance was already bothered by her.

He glanced at her then back at Kitty. "Alone."

The girl cleared her throat. "Right, well, I'm going to head to the restroom and, well, yeah." She smiled again, backing away. She even waved. "Well, bye."

They both watched her go then waited just a moment longer to ensure she was, in fact, gone.

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest. "Thank you for saving me there. Now, what do you want?"

"It's good to see you, too," he said sarcastically, curiosity present on his face. He shook his head, either ignoring her attitude or choosing to move past it. "Rogue found me this morning and apologized for yesterday. It was weird, to say the least."

Rogue scoffed, mostly irritated that Kitty decided to take it upon herself to do such a thing. "Well, I don't see why, since Rogue didn't do anything wrong."

"What?"

"That's right," Rogue continued, picking up momentum. "Fault lies only with you and your deadbeat friends."

Lance backed up a step. "What's gotten into you, Kitty? I've never seen you act like this before."

"You haven't?" Rogue pointed a finger directly at him, a small proud smirk on her face. "Well, you better get used to it."

Rogue flipped her chocolate-colored ponytail and sauntered past him. She was quite proud of herself for standing up to him the way she had. There was no doubt in her mind that she perhaps had gone a little overboard or had forgotten that she actually appeared as Kitty to him and not herself, Rogue.

Well, next period she had that big test Kitty had told her about. "Bring it on," she muttered to herself with confidence.


	4. Perspectives and Parties

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So, prepare yourself accordingly. I wanted to leave the rating some room for curse words, though they obviously don't use such language in the show. Anyway, I can see this story being much longer than any of my previous ones. I don't necessarily like dwelling on every second of every day, but it seems somewhat important/entertaining. I guess be prepared for the long haul with this one.

 **Chapter 4 – Perspectives and Parties**

"So, how did it go?" Rogue asked. "You didn't accidentally kill anyone, did you?"

"Not yet," Kitty mumbled, her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face.

After the day she had, it was no wonder she was in such a bad mood. And, if this was every day of Rogue's life, it was no wonder she was constantly grumpy. Either nobody acknowledged her existence or else they were completely rude when doing so. She hadn't even stood a chance.

She supposed that it must have all started with the way Lance had received her. Then again, she was Rogue. Not Kitty. She had to keep that in mind.

"I don't suppose you did any better?"

Rogue shrugged. "Well, apart from nearly being talked to death by some of your friends, I suppose that it wasn't such a bad day."

Kitty perked up, but then suspicion took over. "What do you mean by that?"

Rogue looked at her matter-of-factly. "You honestly haven't noticed? Your friend is such a blabbermouth."

"That's not what I'm talking about. What do you mean that it wasn't such a bad day?"

"Oh." Rogue shrugged again. "I mean it wasn't such a bad day. I actually felt like I belonged somewhere." She scoffed. "Well, I'm sure you know exactly what that's like. You live it on a daily basis."

Kitty frowned. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Rogue. But, it really isn't, like, all it's cracked up to be."

Rogue grew defensive. This was a new life for her, and she didn't quite hate it. "Listen, you've seen what I go through now. From what I've experienced, you're sitting pretty."

"You think so now, but just wait." Kitty turned away, needing to look elsewhere. Even in another body, Rogue was still Rogue; and, Rogue always found a way to aggravate her. "Thanks for always sticking up for me, by the way."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I talked to Lance this morning, he seemed quite surprised that you would go out of your way for Kitty," she explained sourly.

"Lance is a jerk," Rogue commented, shaking her head. "Besides, what were you doing apologizing to him as me? You know I would never do that."

"That's why I felt compelled to. You realize that it was your fault and not his for what happened yesterday, right? Try not being a bitch all the time." Kitty sighed. It was a moment before she realized what Rogue had actually said. "How did you know I apologized?"

"Lance sought me out. Well, you."

"And…"

At that moment, both girls' attention was drawn toward the entrance of the school. They were outside on the frown lawn after the school day had ended, catching up on each other's day. But, in that instance, Lance Alvers exited the school building, completely unaware that they were in fact speaking of him. He happened to reach the bottom of the steps before spying them both staring directly back at him.

At first his expression was that of curiosity, but it quickly merged into a scowl. Kitty's smile faded no more than a second later. Immediately she turned on Rogue.

"What did you do?" she demanded.

"Hey, what makes you think I did anything?" Rogue argued. But the expression Kitty was giving her made her back down. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't do anything. I merely defended my roommate, something that you obviously don't do enough."

Kitty's hands formed into tight fists at her side. She clenched her teeth and appeared like she might explode. Instead, she whirled around and let out an aggravated growl that would have drawn the attention of others if they hadn't been secluded.

"You always ruin everything!" she yelled stomping away.

"I did you a favor!" Rogue bellowed back. Then she turned on her own heel and stormed off in the opposite direction.

She didn't get far, though. The especially talkative girl from lunch came running up to her, completely ignoring the storm cloud above her head. Rogue didn't even notice until she was directly on her. It was really the last thing she needed at that moment.

"Kitty! Kitty, did you hear?" she exclaimed.

Rogue sighed and shook her head. "No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me."

She seemed to not hear the bite in her voice, so she kept going. "Duncan Matthews is having a party this weekend and he made it a point to invite the underclassmen." She giggled obnoxiously. "Can you believe it? He never does that! Oh, please say you're going with me!"

Rogue scoffed. "I would never be caught dead at one of his parties. But, it seems to be just up your alley. Have fun!"

The girl looked at her with odd expression, perhaps even seeming like she was about to cry. "W-What do you mean? His parties are always the hit of the school. We always talk about going and now we actually can. What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Rogue said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I just…I'm-" She was rendered silent by the mere look the girl was giving her. Rogue released a sigh of disgust. "Fine, but I'll meet you there. I can't take an entire car ride."

The girl's mood flipped. A large grin erupted on her face and she jumped up and down excitedly. She even went to throw her arms around Rogue, and would have succeeded if Rogue hadn't screamed the moment the girl touched her. Immediately, she backed away, her hands up.

"Sorry," Rogue apologized quickly. "I'm so sorry. I'm just…I'm not feeling well. I've got to go. I'll see you at the party or something."

Rogue immediately turned on her heel and walked in the opposite direction, her head hung low. She had forgotten for a moment that she wasn't in her own body anymore. She was in Kitty's. And, Kitty didn't have skin that could kill with the slightest touch.

This thought pleased her, and a small smirk turned up the edge of Rogue's lips.


	5. Training Exercise

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So I did want to touch on the use of their powers or whatever briefly. Obviously this would be an issue. However, I did not want to dwell on it too much, since it is still not the focal point of the story. There really was no better way for me to present it other than a little game of keep away. Keep in mind that Professor Xavier and Scott are out looking for a new mutant that popped up, so naturally I had to go with the next best thing. Enjoy.

 **Chapter 5 – Training Exercise**

When the students walked back into the mansion that afternoon after a full day of classes, Logan was ready and waiting with a ball in one hand and a clipboard in the other. Around his neck dangled his usual stopwatch. They stopped one by one, for all of them knew what that meant.

"Don't get comfortable just because the professor is away," he greeted them in his gruff voice.

Kurt, of course, played up the dramatics and appeared to be the most upset. "But, Logan," he whined, "how can you expect us to go straight into training?"

Logan rolled his eyes, as he always heard the same arguments every single time he surprised them with training. "Magneto isn't going to care if you have homework to do."

In the back of the group, Rogue and Kitty had remained as silent as possible. They looked at one another, each wearing an expression of concern. Though it hadn't seemed a great possibility, their powers accidentally being exposed was something they had certainly feared. Now Logan was asking them to go ahead and use them. The only issue was that neither girl knew how to control the other's abilities.

"Now let's do this. I expect all of you out in the yard in thirty minutes." Logan didn't wait for them to complain some more. He pivoted and headed toward the back of the mansion.

Kurt and Evan headed in one direction, while Kitty and Rogue proceeded up to their shared bedroom to get ready. It wasn't wise to keep Logan waiting, or worst, not even show up. They threw their book bags down, and each girl extracted clothes for the other.

"So, don't, like, freak out," Kitty was explaining, "it's really not terribly difficult, I guess."

"Maybe not for you. You've been doing it your whole life," Rogue shot back.

"Listen, just keep your head clear and concentrate. That way you won't accidentally fall straight through the ground."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Well that's comforting."

Kitty pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Hey, I wouldn't be talking. Just the thought of anyone touching me like this scares me."

"And it should," Rogue confirmed.

"You know, that's not what you're supposed to say."

"It's the truth," Rogue said seriously. "It's kind of scary. Even just a little touch and I learn everything about someone. I am that person for a time. And, trust me, there are people you don't want to know that well."

"It is a really intrusive power, isn't it?" Kitty said comfortingly.

Rogue nodded. "Intrusive, yes, and isolating."

A moment passed then Kitty cleared her throat. "Well, I don't plan on removing these gloves ever, that's for sure."

"Let's get going. We don't want to keep Logan waiting."

"Now there's a scary thought," Kitty quipped, causing both girls to snicker.

Dressed, basically in just some more moveable clothes, and ready to go, both girls made their way down into the yard behind the mansion. It was spacious with trees lining an area. Logan was standing just in front of them with Jean, who must have joined in the meantime. It wasn't a surprise to see that they had beat Kurt and Evan, but the boys weren't too far behind.

"Glad you could join us," Logan greeted, always with the sarcasm. "I'm sure you are all aware of how to play this game. It's simple: keep the ball away from your fellow mutants. Is that clear?"

"Powers are encouraged," Jean added with a smile. "But, this is just a training session. Please don't hospitalize anyone."

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest, her weight shifted onto one hip. "There's got to be some kind of law against this."

"Glad you could chime in, half-pint," Logan said. He tossed the ball to Rogue, who fumbled with it, but didn't let it fall in the end. "You're starting. I'll give you a ten second head start. Go."

"What?" Rogue asked, wide-eyed.

"Go!" Jean clarified.

Rogue went into a sprint, heading straight into the trees. It was difficult trying to avoid running headlong into a solid trunk and keeping hold of the ball at the same time. She wasn't comfortable attempting to utilize Kitty's powers just yet. So, she was slowed down actually having to maneuver around the physical objects rather than just going straight through them.

That was why it was so easy for Kurt to teleport in and snatch the ball away from her.

She gasped from sheer surprise when he popped up in front of her in his natural blue form. "Kurt!" she yelled when he bounced the ball out of her grasp and into his own. "Give me a break!"

"Sorry, Kitty," he chuckled. "Maybe next time." And he disappeared into the trees as quickly as he had appeared.

Rogue muttered indistinctly to herself, but she was rather relieved to not have to worry about pretending to be Kitty anymore. At least she figured she could play the rest of this training exercise low key. And maybe, just maybe, she could practice and get a hang of Kitty's powers.

Meanwhile, as the game progressed, the ball found its way into Evan's hands, though Kitty was close on his tail. She hadn't really been trying too hard, but he had just showed up in front of her, and she thought she might as well take advantage of the situation and make Rogue look impressive.

"You're never going to catch me, Rogue," Evan teased as he continued to run away.

Then, the most opportune moment struck. Evan tripped on an exposed root, falling to the ground and losing his grip on the ball. It was up for the taking. Kitty ran by, scooping the ball up as she went, and making a face at him over her shoulder.

"What was that, Evan?" she called, mockingly.

Giggling, she ran further into the trees, weaving in and out to lose anyone on her trail. After a minute or two of not seeing any of her fellow mutants, she figured she might be in the clear and stopped to take a breather.

She enjoyed these types of training exercises, where it was more like playing a game than actual work. She was so into it, in fact, that she forgot who she was for the time being. She forgot everything except for the task at hand. Because, typically, she was fairly good at this game. In the end, it usually came down to her and Kurt.

And, as if on cue, the fuzzy blue elf popped up in front of her, jolting her to back up into the trunk of a tree. He approached her slowly, as if walking up to a caged animal, a friendly and playful grin plastered on his face. His tail bobbed from side to side, as if in an attempt to put her in a trance.

"It's just you and me, Rogue," he drawled. "Just hand over the ball."

"Yeah, right!" Kitty hollered back, clutching the object closer to her body. "You'll have to pry this from my hands, Kurt!"

He shrugged. "That can be arranged."

Kitty shrieked playfully as he lunged at her, aiming for the ball. He got his hands around it and began to pull. They became stuck in a tug-of-war.

"Just give me the ball," Kurt urged.

"No," Kitty replied stubbornly back.

"Come on."

"No!"

"Let go!" Kurt grunted, giving it an extra tug.

"Fine."

Kitty let the ball slip from her hands and watched as Kurt's momentum took him off balance. She wore a victorious grin as his feet slid out from underneath him and he was destined for the ground. As a reactionary action, his tail drew up and forward, looking for the first thing it could find to prevent the fall. Unfortunately, that just so happened to be Kitty's arm.

This wouldn't have been such an issue if she hadn't been in possession of Rogue's body, and if the tail hadn't curled around the bare part of her forearm. It took both of them by surprise, but Kitty most of all. She let out a loud scream as visions of Kurt's life flashed before her eyes.

Kurt was the first one to pass out.

For Kitty, the surge to her mind and her senses was too much. It drained her quickly, resulting in her unconscious body upon the ground. When the images and memories finally passed, though, she looked up into the canopies of the trees with her vision quickly fading. Finally, it submerged into darkness.


	6. Inner Thoughts

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Ok, I think we all knew that this was coming. I guess there has to be some romance in here to make things interesting. We'll see where it all goes. I also wanted Kitty to be a bit more affected by Rogue's powers than Rogue typically is because it is not her power and she is not used to it sort of thing. If that makes sense…And, as you can see, Rogue had issues with Kitty's power, as well.

 **Chapter 6 – Inner Thoughts**

" _Do you think I have a chance?"_

" _I don't know, Kurt. There seems to be something about Lance that keeps her interested in him."_

" _She only sees me as a friend. Maybe if I showed her that I can be more…"_

" _Do whatever you want. I don't even know why you are telling me all of this."_

" _You're her roommate. I figured you of all people would be able to shed some insight on the situation."_

" _Listen, just because we share a room doesn't mean that I know all about her life, or that I want to. So you and Lance can pursue her as much as you want, but leave me out of it from now on."_

" _Don't be bitter, Rogue."_

" _Who says I'm bitter? This romance stuff is pointless, especially for someone like me."_

Kitty opened her eyes slowly. She was incredibly groggy, but that was to be expected. The first thing that met her vision was a darkened ceiling. She had trouble recalling where she was or how she had gotten there, or, for that matter, what occurred directly before her waking up in this strange place.

She thought back, trying to find the last thing she could remember. She recalled the woods in the back of the mansion and running through the trees with a ball clutched in her hands. Then she saw Kurt. Or was she Kurt? Kitty stopped immediately, shaking her head to free herself of the strange and alarming feeling. Instead, she simply got a wave of dizziness that caused her to groan in protest.

"You're awake," a voice whispered from her bedside. "Don't move. You might be a bit dizzy still."

Though Kitty certainly didn't want to have to turn her head to identify the person next to her, she found that she didn't have to. She was able to determine that, by the sound of the voice, it was Rogue. And, if that wasn't confirmation enough, her roommate ended up leaning over her to give her a better view. Granted, Kitty found herself staring back at her own face, versus Rogue. They were still in each other's body.

"What happened?" Kitty groaned.

"I'm not entirely sure, but we found Kurt unconscious, too," Rogue explained. "He must have somehow touched you or you must have touched him. I don't know."

Kitty attempted to smile, but it was awfully weak. "Does this happen to you?"

"No, well, not anymore. I freaked out the first time my powers emerged. I thought that I actually was the boy I had touched. I ended up going straight to his house, thinking it was mine," Rogue imparted. "He ended up in the hospital."

"Well, at least you didn't make a total fool of yourself," Kitty said lightly. "Though, I suppose it is only right that you are the one that can control and handle your powers."

Rogue smiled. "On that note, I think I may sort of understand your abilities."

"Sort of?"

"Well, there was a couple of incidents involving a tree and the wrong body part, but other than that." She smiled hopefully.

Kitty couldn't help laughing, which shook her body and caused her some discomfort. She winced with the pain and fell silent and still, closing her eyes to cope.

"Can I do anything for you?" Rogue offered, thinking this partially her fault.

"How long do I have to live with his thoughts?"

"It should go away in a few days."

Kitty paused, digesting this information. Her head seemed so cloudy at the moment, like she couldn't muster up her own thoughts. She was quite certain that she wasn't going to enjoy having Kurt's thoughts mix with hers, especially if they were going to constantly intermingle.

"Rogue," she said lightly, realizing something, "there's something that I need to ask you about."

"Anything," Rogue granted, still in a giving mood.

Kitty paused. "When I was unconscious, I think I heard some of Kurt's thoughts. And, I think it was when you two were having a conversation."

"Well, we do tend to talk to one another. That will happen where you will get glimpses of his memories, as you know."

"Kurt doesn't have, like, a crush on me or anything, right?" Kitty asked hesitantly, as if ignoring Rogue's comment. "I'm just wondering because this specific memory seemed to indicate that, like, he does and that you know about it."

Rogue looked uncomfortable. She tried her best to put on a solid resolve, but she just wasn't sure what to do in this situation. Her hands fell onto her hips. "Would it make a difference if he did?"

Kitty thought for a moment. "I don't know. I guess not, to be honest. But, it is still something that I should know about."

"Why? Now you are going to be all weird around him, and he's going to think I told you."

"No I won't," Kitty said with a sly smile.

"Yes you will. You always act weird around boys you like." Rogue crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're forgetting one very important detail. You are me and I am you," Kitty reminded her. "So if I start acting weird around him, he'll just think it is you being you."

"Thanks a lot," Rogue said, rolling her eyes. "All of this business is stupid anyway."

"I'm going to go with Kurt on this one."

Rogue shook her head. "What are you talking about?"

"You're just being bitter, Rogue. But don't worry. I can help you," Kitty assured.

"The only thing that worries me is you helping me when I don't even need or want it," Rogue insisted, her finger pointed in accusation.

"With me as you," Kitty continued, as if not hearing her or choosing to ignore her, "I will find you someone. And, it will be someone that you like, too."

"How about you just leave it alone, Kitty?"

"You're just defensive because you're nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Rogue said adamantly. "Now I'm just irritated."

She groaned impatiently and stomped out of the room, leaving Kitty to gloat by herself. At first, she had brought it up just to irk Rogue, but now that she actually dwelled on it, she couldn't help thinking that it was a great idea. After all, Rogue would never pursue anything herself. But, since Kitty was now in control of Rogue's body, there was a chance. Not to mention, it would give her some entertainment.

Kitty delighted so much in the task ahead of her that she completely dismissed what she now knew about Kurt. Her mind began to flip through the list of boys she knew that might be a good match for Rogue. It was difficult, as she wasn't really the most social young woman in school. Still, Kitty believed that there were some definite options on the table.

"You'll thank me in the end, Rogue," Kitty laughed to herself. She winced as another jolt of pain washed over her.


	7. An Unexpected Visitor

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So, honestly, I suppose there is no other choice for Rogue. Now, I am not good writing accents, so just imagine it if you would. I wanted to go ahead and keep the story moving, so a little bit of time has passed. The weekend is where it is all going down, apparently.

 **Chapter 7 – An Unexpected Visitor**

It was a day later that Kitty found she was strong enough and in her own right mind enough to function at school. Granted, she still had some of Kurt's memories and thoughts, which interfered with her own, especially when eating, but she had gotten a little bit of control over them. Ultimately, it was her own decision to face the real world. She wasn't one for being cooped up, anyway.

She was walking the halls in the school building to get to her next class when Jean approached her. It was probably typical that Rogue would see glimpses of Jean, as they were closer in age than Kitty was to her. But, it seemed quite apparent that she had gone out of her way to find Rogue.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" the red-head asked, her voice low.

"Of course," Kitty answered, more concerned with anything being the matter than portraying Rogue's character.

They managed to make their way off to the side of the busy hallway, weaving a path until they could stop without catching anybody behind them. In fact, they were able to find a small alcove, which served for privacy, as well.

"The other day with Logan's training session," Jean said, getting right into it, brushing a portion of hair over one shoulder, "I never saw you react to your powers in such a way."

Kitty, shrugged, trying to play it off. "Well, we all have our off days."

Jean looked at the ground, unconvinced. "While you were in the infirmary, I happened to probe your mind to make sure you were alright."

"You what?" Kitty reacted. "Who said you could go into my mind without my permission?"

"I know you hate it, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt. I did the same to Kurt." She shook her head, getting off topic. "But, that's not the point. I-" She paused, obviously wondering whether or not to continue. "Are you alright?"

Kitty wouldn't have taken it seriously. She didn't know if Jean pulled this all the time with Rogue or not. After all, she was Miss Social and Rogue was, well, not. But, the sincerity in her eyes told her differently. Kitty swallowed, putting on a brave face. She knew Rogue would not want their secret to be revealed, even if it meant possible help.

She nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"And, Kitty?"

Kitty paused. "You know!" she declared, realization settling over her.

Jean glanced about them, shushing her. It was a sensitive subject and the wrong people did not need to overhear. Kitty was just surprised that someone else knew and believed, as well. Despite Jean's attempts to keep things quiet, she couldn't dismiss her excitement.

"You have to help us!" she was saying. "We woke up one morning like this. We don't even know what happened."

"You have to calm down," Jean tried. "I can't help you if half the world knows about this, or if you don't listen to me. Now, you said that you don't know how this happened?"

Kitty shook her head. "Literally, we woke up and were, like, each other! Jean, we don't know what to do, so we've just been leading our normal lives for now."

"Actually, that's a very good idea. Until we can get more information, there's really nothing else you two can do." Jean thought for a moment. "I'll contact Professor Xavier. You need to go to class right now. I'll let you know if I learn anything new."

Not knowing what else to do, Kitty hugged Jean. She was so grateful for whatever help the older girl could give them. She just wanted to get back to her own body. It looked odd to the other students, since Rogue and Jean were complete opposites. But here they were, hugging.

"That's enough now," Jean stated, having to push Kitty off of her. "We'll get this figured out."

"Thanks, Jean."

Kitty headed for Rogue's next class. The only thing getting her through the day was the idea of the weekend starting directly after the final bell. Not only would that give them more time to focus on the issue at hand, but it would also give her time to rest. It was exhausting being someone else.

She did her best to concentrate on her papers and work. But, Kurt's memories were fairly distracting. Not only that, though, but Rogue's hair kept tickling her cheeks. No matter how many times she pushed it away, it continued to bother her. She wasn't used to shorter, free locks. She extracted the pink scrunchy she had packed in the backpack just in case and fingered her hair up into a high ponytail.

"There, that's better," she mumbled to herself, getting back to her work.

Kurt's thoughts would be harder to deal with, though.

Ignoring them wasn't any good. She'd be reading into every little thing whether she liked it or not. But, she didn't think she felt the same way that Kurt apparently did. It had always been Lance for her. With Rogue messing things up now, though, she wasn't sure where she stood. Sure, she may have had some sort of inkling that Kurt's feelings might extend a bit above friendship, but it was never something she took seriously. But now, it seemed she didn't have any other choice.

By the last class of the day, Kitty had decided to turn her thoughts to something more productive. She had vowed to help Rogue in romantic pursuits, no matter how much her roommate said she wasn't interested. So, the only issue now was finding the right guy.

Immediately she was intent on this person being a mutant himself. There was no way an ordinary human could ever understand Rogue. And, if she accidentally touched him, that would be a whole other issue. At least a mutant would understand.

Kitty sighed and glanced tiredly out the window, bored by the teacher's incessant need to hear his own voice. Apparently she didn't have too much to look forward to in her high school career. At least, the classroom offered a much better view of the outdoors than she was used to. Her eyes scanned the natural environment, longing to enjoy the sunshine while it lasted.

She saw birds flittering around a giant tree seemingly standing on its own. Sure, there were others around, but nothing in its immediate vicinity. She pictured herself sprawled out underneath those large branches. It was just her and a book, or maybe music. And, Remy.

Wait.

Kitty shook her head, jarring herself from her daydream. She blinked a couple of times and looked again. Sure enough, Remy LeBeau was lingering rather strangely behind the trunk of the tree. And, if that wasn't creepy enough, he was starring right at her.

At first, she scowled and looked away. She didn't quite know how to react. Remy was never their enemy, necessarily, but he was never really their friend, either. He pretty much came and went as he pleased. The only question on her mind was why was he here at all? And why was he starring at her, Rogue?

Kitty chanced a glance outside again, but the mysterious mutant was gone. She didn't know now whether she had actually seen him or if it had been a figment of her imagination. After all, she was still experiencing some of Kurt's memories and thoughts. Perhaps she had really gone crazy now.

xXx

She was looking for Rogue or even Jean, but she found someone else instead. Rather, he found her, and she was caught much unprepared.

"I was hoping I'd find you here," he drawled in his southern accent.

Kitty crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, it's my school. So, yeah." She glanced away, attempting to find an escape route. Unfortunately, she was just surrounded by people trying to make their way home and glancing at her and her friend in the process.

He stared at the top of her head. "Is that new?" he said, pointing to the pink scrunchy she had accidentally left in.

Kitty knew full well that Rogue would kill her for the mishap. So, she decided to play it off. "Don't tell me you hate it," she stated sarcastically. "Whatever will I do?" She sighed exasperatedly. "Now, what do you want, Remy?"

"I just came to return this." He offered up a black sweater that she hadn't seen him carrying before. "Your sweater, darlin'."

Kitty looked at it with a blush, as if the object confused her. Then, she snatched it out of his hands. "And what exactly are you doing with my sweater?"

Remy laughed. He was charming, she'd give him that. His laugh even was smooth and calculated. It was no wonder he seemed like such a manipulator.

"Rogue, I swear, I've never met another girl like you," he started, catching his breath. "Must you rip my heart out every time?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You left it in the park last weekend when we met," Remy informed. "Do you really not remember?"

"Listen, I would never-" But then she stopped. She contemplated this information. "Last weekend? That's why she wouldn't go to the movies with us."

Kitty's mind was at war with itself. She didn't know if she could really believe Remy's story. She didn't know if Rogue would really meet him in the park or not. Perhaps, she figured, Rogue was being more social than she originally gave her credit for.

"Are you talking to yourself?" Remy asked.

Kitty snapped out of it and looked at him. "You got a problem with that?" She pointed a finger at him.

He held his hands up as if her finger was a gun. "Not at all," he replied with a sly smile on his face. "In fact, I find it rather adorable."

"You, what?" She frowned. "That's enough out of you. You gave me back my sweater, now leave."

"Now wait a minute. There's no need to be hasty. Why don't we get a cup of coffee and chat."

"I don't want to chat with you," Kitty said adamantly.

But then she stopped and really thought. She was in the market for some sort of companion for Rogue. She figured that was the least she could do. Remy seemed a willing choice. He was a mutant and he was capable enough of sticking up for himself and to put up with Rogue's attitude. It seemed a no brainer. She only hoped she hadn't spoiled her chances of snagging him.

"Or do I?" she said quietly.

She showed off her best smile, or at least she thought it was considering it wasn't her face, but Rogue's. He seemed a little taken aback by it, so she lessened it a bit. She had to remember who she was at the moment. Yet, she still had to be charming and cute at the same time. This would prove to be harder than it seemed.

"How about tomorrow we meet for lunch?" she offered instead. "It will be my way of saying thank you for bringing back my sweater."

A sly smile spread across Remy's face. "It's a date, darlin'."

"Whatever you say," Kitty said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We're done here. You can go now."

Remy scoffed delightedly, nodded, and did as he was told.

Smiling proudly to herself, Kitty proceeded on her way, as well, her ponytail bobbing with every step.


	8. The Date

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So chapter eight and nine are going to occur somewhat simultaneously, like George R.R. Martin's books four and five. We will start with Kitty in this chapter, since her event would occur before Rogue's. Then next chapter we will focus on Rogue.

 **Chapter 8 – The Date**

"Why are you so dressed up?"

Kitty looked around the hallway awkwardly. She hadn't expected to run into Rogue, for whatever reason. She had been hoping to sneak away to meet with Remy, but sure enough, she was face-to-face with her roommate.

Jean had yet to get a definite answer back from the professor, so it was only natural that they should all go about their business until that time. Therefore, Kitty decided to keep the date she had made with Remy. And, of course, that meant getting dolled up.

"Nowhere in particular," Kitty said nonchalantly. She had never been good at lying.

"Well, you made me look ridiculous. Go change and wipe off that make up," Rogue instructed, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Why should I?" Kitty fought back. "I'm you now. I was just testing some things out." She chanced a glance in the hallway mirror. "Besides, I think I made you look pretty good. You should let me do your makeup more often."

It was in fact true. Kitty had chosen lighter hues since Rogue's skin was so pale. What she had done had transformed Rogue's face. She still looked like herself, but enhanced, Kitty would say. She had left what hair she had to work with straight and free flowing. She had taken the least raggedy shirt from Rogue's closet and paired that with the typical leather skirt. All in all, Kitty thought she had done a pretty darn good job.

"Yeah, right," Rogue muttered, walking past her. "Fine, do whatever you want. It's not like I really care what anyone thinks of me anyway."

Kitty watched Rogue until she rounded the corner out of sight. She smiled to herself because Rogue had no idea what she was planning. She went about her way, already a couple of minutes late to the café.

xXx

Remy had taken a table for two outdoors, so that they might be able to enjoy the weather while it lasted. Not to mention, if anything were to go wrong, as it sometimes did, it would be easier to handle in a wide open space versus a contained one. He had also taken the liberty of ordering an espresso for himself while he waited.

He was a little surprised. Typically he wasn't the one waiting. For Rogue, though, he didn't seem to mind as much. It was just unlike her. And, on that note, he didn't really know what to think of that situation with the pink scrunchy the previous day. He didn't peg her as the type to wear such accessories. It unsettled him a bit. Just when he thought he had an idea of her and her character, she seemed to be a different person.

She was easy to spot walking down the street toward him. She must have seen him already because there was a scowl marring her expression. He had to chuckle about that. He could always pick her out in a crowd.

Kitty, meanwhile, had decided to try to play it cool. She wasn't entirely sure how Rogue acted around Remy, but she figured she was her usual cold and distant self. She knew that wasn't typically the way to get the guy, so she had finally chosen a happy medium between herself and Rogue.

She wore the scowl all the way to the table. "Ok, let's get this over with," she greeted.

"You're the one that invited me, remember?" Remy said incredulously.

Kitty shook her head. "Yeah, sorry." She sighed, pretending like she hadn't meant to cause tension right away. "Why do I always have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Be combative and dismissive like that?"

Remy shrugged. "It's fine really. Well, most of the time. That's just who you are." He smiled. "And I like a girl with a little kick to her."

Kitty raised an eyebrow. "You talk about me like I'm some sort of liquor."

"Maybe in a way…" Remy teased.

Kitty scoffed and rolled her eyes, causing him to laugh. "Thanks a lot."

At that point a waitress came up to the table and placed a cup filled with steaming coffee. She asked their order and it was placed. Kitty decided to go with just a small salad, as it seemed more ladylike to her. Remy went all out, though, and ordered a sandwich with a side of fries.

"You don't peg me as the salad type of girl," Remy said once the waitress had left.

"Are you criticizing my food choice?"

"Perhaps."

She shook her head, laughing. "You are an interesting one, Remy LeBeau."

"I should be saying that about you."

She glanced up at him through her lashes, a small blush on her cheeks. "And why's that?"

He shook his head, a genuine smile on his face. "You are a mystery to me, Rogue. Just when I think I know you, you pull something that I would never expect. Like that pink scrunchy," he added with a laugh.

"Oh, that," she muttered, rather embarrassed.

"I didn't even know you owned something like that."

"I don't," she said quickly. Then paused. "It's Kitty's."

"Ah," he stated understandingly. He took a sip from his cup. "How is she? Did she stop trying to make her into a little clone of herself?"

"What?" Kitty said, angered.

"That's what you were complaining about last time. Sometimes you just want some peace and quiet, but Kitty always bothers you with things she wants you to go to and do."

She furrowed her brow in frustration. "Th-That's, like, not true," she argued. She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "Is this what Rogue really says about me?"

It was Remy's turn to be confused. "Uh, are you ok?"

Kitty cleared her throat. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just a little tired, I guess. Kurt totally hijacked my mind the other day."

"I see," he whispered, and that was all she had to say and all he had to say in return.

They were both very aware of her abilities and the after effects. It made for a somewhat difficult conversation. Actually, it was more personal than anything. It seemed kind of wrong to use it as an excuse, but she needed something, and that was all she had.

"Anyway, I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly.

Their food was ready. The waitress brought it to the table and placed it in front of each customer correspondingly. It was a much needed interruption. Remy focused on his sandwich, preparing it and readying to take a big bite.

"So, you like me, right?" Kitty said rather bluntly.

In fact, it was so out of the blue that Remy nearly choked on the piece of sandwich he was masticating. An awkward silence ensued, as his mouth was much too full to answer at the moment. But, finally, he swallowed and was able to answer.

"Well, that was uncalled for," he said.

"Just answer the question."

"That's a tough word to define," he played off. "Our relationship, if you will, is complicated, Rogue. Yet, it is easy. Neither of us expect anything from the other, do we? But, at the same time, we enjoy each other's company."

Kitty sighed, exasperated. She stood, the chair screeching on the pavement with the momentum. "Listen, Remy, I'm not going to be your fall back anymore. I'm tired of this."

"What do you mean?"

"This isn't working for me. I have needs and interests, too." Kitty hugged herself, playing up the emotionally scarred act. "I don't know what I did to deserve this isolation, but I suppose it is better than getting hurt." She turned to leave. "Goodbye."

She sauntered down the street away from Remy. She knew that her behavior had been a bit erratic, to say the least, but she figured that he might go for the hurting loner act. She'd have to wait and see. Only time would tell.


	9. Win Some, Lose Some

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the long awaited update. I was considering how to go about this chapter. I didn't want it to seem too different from Rogue's personality, but I also wanted to give some evidence of her state of mind changing. Basically, not to give too much away, the thought that she won't accidentally murder someone is very comforting. I didn't want to make this chapter too long, which is why I ended it where I did. However, I am unsure if the next chapter will still take place at the party or just after. We shall see. ^.^

 **Chapter 9 – Win Some, Lose Some**

It was just about that time. Rogue would have forgotten all about going to Duncan Matthews' party if she thought that Kitty's talkative friend would leave her alone. However, the many phone calls the mansion received leading up to the specified time worked against her. She had the feeling that she would incur some kind of wrath if she failed to show entirely. She couldn't have that.

Being Kitty, or at least everyone believing she was, she decided to have a little fun, since she was sure her roommate would have done so anyway. If she was going to be forced to attend a social event then she was at least going to try to make the best of it. Actually, surprisingly enough, she managed to find items she didn't exactly hate within Kitty's wardrobe. After about five minutes of consideration, she decided upon a black dress, that had obviously only ever been worn once, and a blue sweater that did wonders for Kitty's eyes. She left the chocolate locks down, still not used to the high ponytail that Kitty preferred to wear.

She was just trying to figure out how exactly to get over to Duncan Matthews', let alone where it was, when the answer to her problem approached her. She hadn't been sure if she even wanted the others to know, but at this point it didn't seem like much of an option.

"Whoa, what are you all dressed up for?" Kurt said with a slight laugh, coming upon her. "Don't tell me this is all for that party tonight."

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest. "And what if it is? You, like, got a problem with that?"

He took a moment to stare, but perhaps lingered a bit too long. Then he shook his head. "I actually wish that Duncan Matthews would have a party every weekend."

Rogue blushed. She suddenly recalled her conversation with Kurt regarding his feelings toward Kitty. It made her very aware and somewhat uncomfortable. "Listen, if you don't have anything to add then you can just leave me alone."

Kurt smiled slyly. "It just so happens that I was planning on going to the party, too. I guess you don't want a lift."

"Now, wait a minute. I didn't say that."

"What's going on over here?"

The familiar female voice drew attention from both of them. It wasn't any surprise to see Jean walking toward them. She always seemed to have the worst timing, in Rogue's opinion. Immediately, against her will, a sour expression formed on her face.

Jean glanced Rogue up and down. "Kitty, you look…different," she said, choosing her words carefully.

"Well, good thing I'm not trying to, like, impress you."

Jean pretended not to hear that. Instead, she looked over at Kurt. "Were you two planning on going somewhere?"

Kurt shrugged. "Just the party at Duncan Matthews' house tonight."

Jean paused, looking between the two of them. "Trust me, it's not worth it."

Rogue sighed in exasperation. "Well, we're going anyway. So get over it."

Kurt looked at her with a questioning expression. "Kitty, what's gotten into you?"

She took a deep breath, recognizing how odd it must look that she was giving Jean such a hard time. After all, Kitty and Jean were friends. Now, Rogue on the other hand…

"I am just excited that Duncan Matthews finally recognizes us underclassmen, you know?" she excused, trying to sound as much like Kitty as possible. "We should get going."

"I'm coming with you," Jean added quickly, as if afraid to miss her chance.

"What?"

"You know Duncan," Jean attempted casually. "I think he'd prefer my company."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Alright," Kurt announced. "Everybody, hold on."

There was a flash.

The next moment Rogue opened her eyes, she was outside of a rather large and impressive house. She had seen it just once before, and it belonged to none other than Duncan Matthews. She took a deep breath, not quite sure how ready she was for this party. But, then she remembered who she was.

She was Kitty Pryde.

She had the ability to touch people, to socialize with people. She could be outgoing and charming. She could be cute. Basically, she could do everything that she normally couldn't. And that opened up a whole lot of options.

"Ok," she stated, taking a couple of steps forward, "find me when you're ready to leave."

Jean frowned. "I think it might be better if we stayed together."

Rogue scoffed. "Yeah, right." She walked off toward the house up ahead, waving a hand over her shoulder at her fellow mutants. "Later."

As she approached the front doors, having left Kurt and Jean to follow behind her, she noticed small groups of students socializing with unmarked cups in their hands on the front lawn. She also was well aware that those male students that caught sight of her didn't seem to be able to look away. In fact, most of them even stopped talking. She tried to keep calm, but couldn't stop a small smirk from turning up her lips.

She wasn't used to the attention. She had grown accustomed to being invisible. It was rather nice—a good change for once. She didn't quite know the proper protocol, so decided to pretend to ignore the stares. Meanwhile, she just so happened to purposefully ignore that talkative friend of Kitty's who spotted her and attempted to tag along.

Once inside, the music pounded in the most immediate room, which appeared to have been designated as the dance floor. She bypassed that without a second thought for a bit of a quieter area toward the back of the house. She didn't have to pretend to know what she was doing or where she was going, as a boy her age approached her seconds after she had walked through the front door.

"Hey, you're Kitty Pryde, right?" he squeaked barely above the resonating bass.

Rogue turned toward him, narrowing her gaze suspiciously. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Nothing, I…" he trailed off, unsure. He looked down at the two cups he was carrying, one in each hand. Then he held one out for her, offering it almost as a sign of goodwill. "Here, I thought you might want one."

She stared at it, just as suspiciously at first, then snatched it away from him. She was surprised at how easily she managed to nab one of those plastic red cups with its mysterious liquid. Taking a sip from it, however, she almost wished she didn't have it. Yet, she kept a hold on it for whatever reason.

"I-I'm in your third period, in case you were wondering," he continued, as if she had asked the question.

"I don't really care," she muttered distractedly.

"You look different," he commented with a small smile. Seeing her expression, though, he nervously added, "I-I mean good. You look good."

Rogue rolled her eyes and simply walked away from him. Perhaps being noticed wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She headed back toward the front of the house, hoping that the boy she had just encountered wouldn't follow her, and she found a spot to hang back against the wall in the room with the stereo.

She hadn't been to many parties in her time. She wasn't the type to get invited very often, and she wasn't exactly a social butterfly. Therefore, the idea that she could actually fit in at one of these things went straight to her head and fast. So, when an upperclassman approached her requesting to dance, there really was no other answer other than an affirmative.

She moved somewhat stiffly and awkwardly at first, but that soon changed.

"Relax," the young man told her, placing his hands on her hips. He swayed against her, moving her body in tune to his. And soon, much to her surprise, she gave into the music, as well as his touch.

Worry over whether or not she was performing as Kitty had long disappeared. She became wrapped up in the party itself. She learned that she could be witty and funny, and the most important thing was that people actually listened and seemed to like her. It was a world unlike any she'd known. And, it was welcoming. And, it was nice.

There was a tug on her arm, rough enough to jar her from her dancing daze.

"Kitty, what are you doing?"

Rogue was rather dismayed to find herself face-to-face with Lance Alvers. She frowned upon recognizing him. She attempted to dismiss him with a wave of her hand. "You're ruining my fun, Lance. Why don't you just leave me alone?"

His grip tightened on her arm. "I don't think so. You're coming with me."

The male she had been dancing with stood behind her defensively. "You heard what she said." He grabbed the front of Lance's black shirt. "She's having fun. So get lost."

Lance glared at him threateningly, his fists clenching at his sides. There were small tremors, like that of an earthquake, shaking the entire house. "Get your hands off of me."

Rogue forced herself between them, pushing both of them away from one another. "Both of you need to calm down."

"Kitty," Lance said lowly, "we need to talk."

"Fine," she agreed through clenched teeth. "Just don't be stupid, Lance."

Without saying anything more, he grabbed her arm rather forcefully and dragged her away from her admirer, much to her protest. It wasn't terribly easy to find an empty area in the house, but somehow Lance managed.

Rogue rubbed her forearm when she was finally released, stepping a safe distance away from him. "That hurt!" she accused. She turned to face him, obviously upset. "What's wrong with you, Lance?"

He closed the door to give them a bit more privacy, but the bass of the sound system still resonated off the walls. He turned to her, equally upset. "I should be asking you the same thing, Kitty."

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest and glanced away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she insisted in a huff.

"Ever since the other day you have been acting completely ridiculous," he informed. "This just isn't like you, Kitty. Did-Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?"

Rogue smirked, seeing her chance. "Yes, I am," she confirmed. "And, you're right, Lance. It is from the other day. How could you have treated Rogue like that? You're always such a-a dick." Her expression faltered slightly, as she was usually a bit more eloquent. But, she stuck by her choice.

Lance sighed, shaking his head, and turned away. "I'm trying, Kitty. I am trying for you."

"Excuse me?"

"You were the one who asked me to play nice, remember? You were the one that wanted me to get along with Rogue. And, I am trying. But, it is not so easy when she is trying her hardest to prevent that."

Rogue paused and thought a moment. She had never considered that perhaps it would have been best for Kitty's sake that they get along. Well, she had never imagined that Kitty would try to make peace between the two of them, or that Lance would care enough to go along with it. She felt like she was losing her footing.

"I-"

"Listen," Lance interrupted, "I don't know what's changed, but maybe the reason this…relationship is so difficult is because it's wrong."

"What?" Rogue asked, though she could see where this was going. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that we constantly have to work at this," he explained, none too forgivingly. "It shouldn't be this hard. And, I don't need your roommate making it any more difficult."

"Lance, you can't just-" she tried.

But he wasn't hearing any of it. "I think I just did," he said over her.

"I never meant…" she whispered, trailing off.

She never believed that she could ever cause Lance and Kitty to split up, but here he was telling her it was off. And, it was all her fault. She sighed, rather disappointed. But, the more she dwelt on the situation, the more she grew frustrated and defensive.

"Fine," she muttered, walking past him to get to the door. She threw it open. "Good riddance."


	10. Aftermath

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry about the lengthy wait for the next update. I swear I am not doing it on purpose. This is just a short little go between to show the aftermath of the party, hence the title. The fun stuff will continue in the next chapter, although it was kind of fun to write Rogue with a hangover.

 **Chapter 10 – Aftermath**

Everything was painful. The sun shining in and landing precisely over her closed eyelids, the state of being conscious, but most of all, the invasive squeal of the voice directly next to her sensitive ears. Rogue groaned, being drawn from her restful sleep.

"Stop barking," she muttered insistently, impatiently. "Wh-What do you want?"

Rogue's eyes fluttered open slowly, and immediately squinted against the harsh light. Yet, steadily, an image came into view. It was Kitty. Well, it was Rogue's body carrying an angry expression, leaning over her. It certainly wasn't how she would have preferred to be greeted after rising with a hangover.

"Barking?" Kitty said, aghast. "You haven't heard anything yet, Rogue!"

Rogue pulled a pillow over her head with another groan. "Can't you just leave me to suffer in peace?"

Kitty wrenched the pillow out of her hands. "Oh, you'll suffer alright. What happened last night?"

"Last night?" Rogue attempted to recall the previous night, but ending up wincing as her water-starved brain ached in response. "Nothing?"

Her answer was weak and she knew it. But, it was difficult for her to care about anything in the state she was in. Her eyes kept closing much against her will, and her attention kept ebbing in and out.

"Nothing?" Kitty released a noise of disgust. "You're so useless right now!"

With that, she stormed away. In the back of Rogue's mind, she knew that this wasn't over. However, she was just too happy to be able to go back to sleep for the time being. She could worry about whatever Kitty wanted to know later.

xXx

It was late afternoon when Rogue finally managed to pull herself out of bed to find nourishment. She was still weary, but the protestations from her empty stomach refused to allow her to continue to sleep. It was much like Kitty's disruption earlier, except this one wasn't about to leave her anytime soon.

She had awoken to find herself still wearing the same clothes she had adorned specifically for the party. So, she had managed to change into something a bit more comfortable before padding casually downstairs toward the kitchen.

She had been hoping to make it there without any interruption, but such things could not be relied upon in a crowded mansion.

"Kitty!" Kurt appeared and came straight toward her. "What was that last night? You were, like, a different person."

Rogue rubbed her head. "Was I?" Her throat was dry and sore, and her voice matched that.

Kurt laughed. "You must have had more to drink than I thought."

"Yeah, please tell me that I, like, didn't do anything I'll regret."

"No worries, Kitty," Kurt said, patting her on the shoulder. "I kept an eye on you all night."

Rogue bit her lip. "Thanks, I think."

She continued on past Kurt and into the kitchen, refocusing on the task at hand, which was food. A pile of red apples called to her, gathered in a mound in the fruit bowl on the counter. She was drawn, like a magnet, to them, and wrapped a hand around the topmost apple.

"Finally!" Kitty caught her, causing her to physically jump.

The apple fell from Rogue's hand and rolled across the floor before coming to a stop just in front of Kitty. Rogue's hand flew to her chest, as if to keep her heart from leaping out in surprise. For a moment, she forgot that she wasn't feeling terribly well.

"Don't do that!" Rogue insisted, turning toward her roommate. "You scared me half to death." She groaned and rubbed her temple. "I'm not exactly myself at the moment."

"Guess what, Rogue?" Kitty said angrily, her arms crossing tightly over her chest. "Neither am I."

Rogue shrugged, picking up another apple and washing it off. "Well, until we can find a way to reverse this, I don't see what other choice we have."

"At least you don't have to, like, completely destroy my life in the process."

"Destroy your life? Why would I ever want to do that?"

"I don't know, but you sure did a hell of a good job last night."

Rogue froze, her mouth slightly open in the middle of taking a bite. "Last night? Wait, how do you know about last night? I can hardly remember a thing."

"My point exactly." Kitty plopped down into a chair with a huff. "Jean told me everything as soon as the three of you got back." Rogue slowly lowered herself across from Kitty, allowing her to notice the tears forming in her eyes. "How could you do that to Lance? How could you do that to-to us?"

"Kitty, I…" but Rogue trailed off. She wasn't entirely sure what she was supposed to say at this part. "I never meant for anything like this to happen. It's not like I went there with the intention of breaking you two up."

"But you have never liked Lance from the beginning," Kitty accused.

"Of course not! He is technically an enemy."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Excuses." She stood with a disgusted sigh. "Well, if you aren't going to take this seriously then why should I?"

"Kitty, that's not-"

She pointed a finger at Rogue. "You better hope Jean and the Professor come up with a solution soon, for your sake."

Rogue shot out of her chair. "Wait a second. Jean? You told Jean about our-our condition?"

"She discovered it on her own. She's not dumb, you know. It is rather obvious if you think about it."

"How could you? We agreed to keep this a secret."

Kitty was getting upset. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "How do you expect us to return to our own bodies if we keep it a secret, Rogue? I don't want to stay you forever, especially after you completely decimated my love life! This is the worst thing that could have ever happened!"

Rogue frowned. "Well it's not like I'm having the time of my life either!"

"I'm sorry if dancing on a table in the middle of a crowded room doesn't scream 'horrible time,'" Kitty shot back. She shook her head. "Listen, from now on, you just do whatever you want, and I'll do the same. Damage control can be taken care of when this hell is finally over."

With that, Kitty stormed out of the room.

It wasn't until the silence had finally fallen and her temper had calmed that Rogue realized her head was pounding. She sat down with a sigh, attempting to rub the tension from her temples.

"I hate hangovers," she groaned.


	11. Joyride

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So, while finishing the last chapter I had this one in mind, which is how I was able to put it out so quickly. I wanted to move things along a little. Hopefully this still seems in character, while still evolving a bit. Anyway, please feel free to leave any comments or reviews. Thanks.

 **Chapter 11 – Joyride**

Kitty and Rogue didn't talk to each other for the rest of the weekend. In fact, their silence rolled over into the week. Neither was budging, which wasn't a complete shock, since both were known to be stubborn. Noticing the tension, Jean sought help from Professor Xavier, who had yet to return with Scott, but he didn't have an answer just yet. His best advice, still, was to keep a close eye on them.

Her anger actually seemed to fuel Rogue to do better at school. Though her mind would randomly wander to Kitty, she found herself buried in schoolwork as a distraction. Not only that, but due to whatever had occurred at the party, it seemed that she was even more sought after than usual. Granted she didn't have to necessarily deal with the chatty friend, who must have taken offense to being ignored over the weekend, but instead she had to deal with the rest of the school that had been present at Duncan Matthews' party.

It wasn't even halfway through the day when she found herself yearning for the solitude that her old body provided. Clearly, it wasn't something that Kitty could easily find, not if she didn't want to upset people that is.

Several times throughout the school day Rogue caught sight of Lance Alvers and actually found herself staring. She couldn't help immediately blaming him for all of her problems, but after a moment or two she would rethink her initial reaction. The guilt that Kitty placed on her, however, was unbearable. After hearing what Lance had said, she felt solely responsible for their problems and now their break up.

Kitty, on the other hand, couldn't stay focused. Her attention was everywhere, but she really wasn't concerned about school the way she might have been in her own body. She was still fuming about Rogue's audacity and selfishness.

In the last class of the day, she found herself paying more attention to the scenery outside of the window than what was written on the board in the front of the classroom. At least that allowed her to dwell unhealthily on her last encounter with Rogue. And, each minute she spent thinking about it, the more frustrated she grew.

She couldn't grasp why Rogue would have thought it at all acceptable to break up with Lance. All she had to do was wait this thing out until the Professor could find a way of reversing it. But, instead, very much like her character, Rogue went and spoiled everything. She had to be right—she always did! That was what had started that terrible fight with Lance just days prior.

Part of her wanted to retaliate, seek revenge. But, another part of her wanted to break down and cry. It was draining living the life of another person. It almost didn't seem real that Rogue could have severed the ties that Lance and Kitty had with just one little conversation. And, thinking on that note, she wondered if those tears she wanted to shed so badly were actually for her realization that perhaps their relationship hadn't been strong enough to begin with. Perhaps she was just fooling herself.

As soon as that final bell rang, Kitty was up and out. She stopped by Rogue's locker to exchange textbooks before slinging the backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the front doors. Immediately she spied Kurt and Rogue gathering just off to the side on the front lawn, probably discussing plans to teleport back home. She wasn't completely thrilled to have to join them.

She had barely made it down the front steps when a new opportunity presented itself.

"Rogue," the suave deep voice called.

Kitty stopped and turned. It couldn't have been anyone other than Remy LeBeau, resting on the bannister. She narrowed her eyes, suspicious. Besides, his presence was adding to her frustration. Though he appeared welcoming and friendly enough, she wasn't sure she wanted to see him at that time.

"What do you want?" she said quietly in a tone close to a growl.

He stood and shrugged, appearing slightly uncomfortable. "I thought about what you had said the last time we had met."

Kitty had forgotten in all of her anger. But now, it came flooding back. She had been attempting to bring Rogue and Remy together, thinking that perhaps that would change things. However, now, she wasn't so sure. She wanted to abandon the project altogether, finding herself bitter to the idea of romance.

"Just forget about it," she said, intent on walking away from him. "Forget I said anything."

Remy was quick, though. He put himself in front of her, blocking her path. It was only natural that he should assume that she was mad at him. Especially, after the way she had left him at the café. Initially she had done that in order to get his attention. Now she didn't want it.

She sighed. "Remy, get out of my way."

He held up his hands, palms facing her, as if to stop her more so than she already was. "Now, just hold on a moment. I realized that there are things I need to say to you."

Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Rogue!" Kurt stood on his tiptoes and waved in her direction, as if she couldn't see him. "Rogue, over here!"

As he waved in Kitty's direction, grabbing her attention, Rogue turned and looked at them. As soon as she spotted Remy talking with Kitty, a flush filled her face, forcing her to pivot back around to hide it.

Kitty let out a sound of disgust, which Remy instantly picked up on.

He glanced between their two groups, his eyes eventually landing back onto Kitty and staying there. "Something wrong?"

Kitty shook her head, turning her back in Rogue's direction. "I just can't deal with her right now."

Remy paused. "Do you wanna get out of here?"

She perked up at that, looking at him wide-eyed. "Can we?"

He jabbed a thumb toward the street. "I've got a bike just over there."

Kitty took another look over at Rogue, who was glaring at her now. She grabbed Remy by the front of his trench coat and began pulling him in the direction of his motorcycle. "Let's go."

xXx

Kitty enjoyed the wind rushing through her hair as they flew down the road away from everyone she knew. Remy was in front, steering the motorcycle deftly and professionally, while she maintained a sturdy grip on him from behind. At first, she had been rather nervous, but it took only minutes for her to relax and trust in Remy. Well, not so much trust in him as simply leave all of her cares on the pavement behind them.

It was freeing to be able to forget about everything, if even for just a little while. She was always so tense, so concerned. Well, not anymore.

Remy slowed down and pulled off into a little park. While there were people present, enjoying the outdoors, Remy still managed to locate an empty bench for them. Kitty led the procession, a smile stretching out her lips. Her hands rested atop her head, making her appear like she was stretching after a rigorous exercise.

"That was amazing," she exclaimed, whirling around to face him, once they were at the bench.

Remy lowered himself into the seat first, unable to keep from smiling himself. He lounged back, balancing his arms on the backrest of the bench. "I figured a girl like you would already be used to motorcycles," he mused.

Her arms dropped, and her hands came to rest on her hips. Her grin turned into a sly smirk. "And what kind of girl am I, exactly?"

He shrugged. "I don't know if I should answer that."

They both chuckled.

Kitty finally fell back into the seat next to him, sighing as she did so. After a brief pause, she said sincerely, "Thank you for this. I really needed to clear my head."

"You seemed a bit stressed out. I take it that Kitty isn't making things easy for you."

"What?" she breathed, confused. But then she remembered. She had forgotten that she was actually Rogue at the moment, not herself. She had been so caught up in a whirlwind that she had managed to forget who she was. Or, who she was supposed to be.

Her gaze dropped to the ground, rather saddened. "Oh, right. Yeah, she is." She sighed. "To be honest, she just screwed up my entire life in a matter of minutes without giving a second thought to the consequences." She shook her head. "She's so selfish sometimes."

It was Remy's turn to look confused. "She did that? That doesn't really sound like something Kitty would do. From all of the things you complain about her, she still never comes off as being so careless that way."

Kitty sat up straight and peered at him with a new perspective. She hadn't expected him to say something like that. "You know what, you're right. Kitty," and she emphasized her own name here, in hopes of defending herself, "isn't bad at all. She really only has the best intentions at heart. I should cut her some slack."

Remy chuckled to himself. "Well you changed your mind awfully quick."

"Yeah, well, I guess you helped me clear my head and put things into perspective." Kitty smiled. "Thank you."

Remy hesitated for a couple of seconds. "To tell you the truth, I brought you out here for rather selfish reasons, Rogue. I wanted to talk to you about what you said the other day."

Kitty felt a fluttering of butterflies in her stomach, recalling what she had said to him and her intentions at the time. "Like I said," she muttered, "just forget about the whole thing."

"That's the problem, though," he responded, a bit more animated, "I can't."

He reached out and grabbed her hand. It caused Kitty to start physically, but luckily she had on the usual leather gloves to prevent against any skin-to-skin contact. Ever since Kurt, though, she was a bit more cautious and jumpy in close quarters.

"You were so honest and open," he continued, "I guess I just wasn't prepared for that. I mean, you aren't really the type to share her feelings. Maybe part of me wasn't completely sure how you felt. Maybe part of me was scared that you didn't feel the same way."

Suddenly, Kitty didn't really know how to continue. She thought that she would have this completely under control, but, she could not say why, she felt nervous and light-headed. It was like the first time Lance had confessed his feelings toward her—the first time they kissed.

"Remy-," Kitty started, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

"No," he interrupted. "I don't know what's come over you the past couple of days, but I figure I might as well take advantage of it. If you are being so honest with me, I better return the favor before you change your mind."

"Please, you don't-" she tried, but was interrupted again.

"Rogue, ever since I first met you, there's been this unbelievable attraction between us. You know that, as well as I do." He scoffed, shaking his head. "Who are we fooling?"

Kitty swallowed, her nerves starting to overcome her. Her eyes darted about, searching for a way out. She had ultimately caused this to happen, though. But, at the time, she had been secure in her place with Lance. Now, though, she didn't know where she stood, emotionally. And, this was all happening too fast.

"Rogue, I-"

But Remy didn't get a chance to confess. Kitty abruptly and quickly moved in. In less than the blink of an eye, her lips were on his. It was a sloppy, rushed kiss, but it worked just as she had hoped. For just a second, or even less than that, there was a look of pleasant surprise on his face. But then, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his lids fluttered closed.

It was at that time that she released him and watched him curl up, unconscious. Kitty glanced about her, making sure that nobody had seen her use her powers. Reassured, she stood up and adjusted her outfit.

"Now," she mumbled to herself, "how do I get home?"


	12. Acceptance

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** In order to wind this down eventually, I figured some sort of understanding had to be made between Kitty and Rogue. This is where Rogue starts her journey, I suppose. Don't think that the Kurt thing is necessarily random. There will be an upcoming scene with him involved.

 **Chapter 12 – Acceptance**

"What do you think you're doing?" Rogue demanded as soon as Kitty stepped foot inside of the mansion. Even without the anger emanating off of her, it was easy to tell just by Rogue's expression how upset she was. "Where have you been?"

Kitty shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "Interested, are we?"

"You're damn right I'm interested. This is my life you're messing with, Kitty."

Despite getting the reaction she was hoping for, Kitty wasn't really in the mood to gloat. It had taken a couple of buses and about two miles of walking for her to return to the mansion. She was hungry. She was sweaty. She was tired. She really just wanted to shower and pass out and that was it. But now, she had to answer to Rogue.

Kitty pointed an accusatory finger at her, turning the tables. Her weariness had disappeared if only for a moment—replaced by an intense fire. "Now you know exactly how I feel. For you to, like, totally screw up my relationship with Lance is unbelievable. Can you really be that selfish?"

Rogue was frozen in awe for a few seconds. But, having regained her composure, managed to mirror Kitty's rage. "I already told you that it wasn't my fault. I didn't go there to break you two up. It was Lance's decision."

"A decision that you forced him to make, Rogue. You couldn't have just played the role until this is all fixed. You had to be stubborn." Kitty shook her head. "You couldn't even do this one thing for me."

Rogue felt a pang in her chest, like Kitty had just stabbed her. "I tried, Kitty," she said much quieter, almost sadly.

Kitty glared at her. "Well, you didn't try hard enough."

Kitty walked past her to the large central staircase. She couldn't fight anymore with Rogue, at least not until she rested for a bit. She wasn't just drained physically, she was drained mentally, as well. It was exhausting. And, the task of fixing everything in her life once they were switched back to normal seemed daunting. If they could even be returned to their original bodies. She was beginning to have her doubts.

Just a couple of steps up, she stopped and looked over her shoulder at Rogue, who had remained frozen in place. "By the way," she called, "Remy has a crush on you." She began her ascent again, waving a hand above her head. "You're welcome."

It was even more shocking and hurtful to learn that Lance had actually been the one to insist they end things. Kitty didn't know if she had even heard right from Rogue, since they had been in the heat of a fight. But, either way, she still blamed her roommate. She didn't think Lance would simply put a stop to their relationship on a whim. Not after all they had been through.

She had barely made it to the top of the steps and around the corner when Jean approached her. Kitty sighed heavily, ready for another encounter. She just couldn't be left alone even in Rogue's body. She had initially assumed that being Rogue would offer her a chance at solitude, but those that knew who she really was responded otherwise.

"Is everything ok, Kitty?" Jean asked quietly, sympathetically. "I heard that. I'm surprised that you didn't attract the attention of the entire mansion. You should be more careful."

Kitty shook her head. "Sorry. I wasn't, like, thinking, I guess. We should have been quieter. This just isn't easy, you know?"

"Of course it isn't," Jean responded, coming to her aid. "But, I have some good news."

Kitty perked up, raising an eyebrow. She needed some good news right about now; and, Jean appeared like an angel to be presenting her with some.

"Professor Xavier is on his way back," she informed. "He'll be here by tomorrow night, and he thinks he might know how to reverse this."

Kitty's heart leapt for joy. "That's great," she exclaimed, forgetting how tired she was. "Then this entire incident can be put behind us once and for all."

Jean paused, sizing Kitty up. "You know you can talk to me if you need to, Kitty."

"Thanks, but until you know what it's like to have your life stolen from you, I'll, like, pass," Kitty said with a dismissive wave, and proceeded toward her room.

xXx

"You're a hard person to track down."

Rogue glanced up from the homework that she wasn't actually doing and spied Kurt loitering just inside of the doorway of the empty classroom she occupied. It seemed like the only quiet place that she could find to clear her head. Unfortunately, though, the silence just made her dwell more on current events.

Kurt frowned, noticing her solemn expression. "What's wrong, Kitty?" he asked, stepping further inside.

"Nothing," she muttered simply, displaying a quick, fake smile.

He sat down next to her, his entire body turned in her direction. "You know, I heard you and Rogue arguing earlier."

"Oh," she said, and looked back down at the half-filled out page. "You weren't supposed to."

"It sounded pretty heated." He paused. "Or, at least I think so. It was a little strange. It seemed like your arguments were Rogue's and Rogue's were yours, or something." He glanced her up and down. "You know you can talk to me. We're friends, right?"

Rogue shrugged, leaning on one arm. "Thanks, Kurt."

Kurt wasn't used to Kitty being unresponsive. It made the silence a little awkward. He watched her pretend to be preoccupied with homework, knowing full well she couldn't actually concentrate on it. So, he continued as if they were having one of their usual conversations.

"So, is it true?"

Rogue sighed. "Is what true, Kurt?"

"Did you and Lance split for good this time?" He paused, studying her expression, which didn't appear to change. "Is it true that it is all Rogue's fault?"

Rogue shrugged. "Lance broke it off. No one is to blame but him."

"I see," Kurt mumbled.

He had only brought up what was already on her mind. Rogue was still frustrated about the entire thing. It wasn't her fault. It couldn't be her fault. Lance was the one who decided to break up with Kitty. She wasn't to blame. Yet, there was an emptiness in the pit of her stomach that made her believe otherwise. Even if it was just the smallest stirring, a part of her didn't accept that she was innocent.

So she sighed exasperatedly and pivoted in her seat to face Kurt.

"Honestly, I never wanted this to happen," she explained, just needing to talk about it out loud to someone. "They…We were never supposed to break up. But, Lance made that call. So what can I do about it?"

"It must be heartbreaking," Kurt said, attempting to console her.

Rogue waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever. Love, or whatever that was, is too complicated. That's why I choose to stay out of it."

She couldn't even convince herself, let alone someone else, and frowned as a result. She didn't necessarily choose to stay out of relationships. They chose to pass her by, instead. Her powers made it impossible for her to get close to anybody physically. She was the one who developed it emotionally, too. She couldn't be like a normal teenage girl no matter how hard she tried.

Yet, somehow, in her darkness, strong feelings had stirred in her for a certain Cajun mutant. She had met with him in private a week or two ago now, she could hardly remember exactly. Purposefully she had left her sweater there, forcing him to seek her out to return it. But, unluckily for her, it was during this confusing time that he managed to do so. It scared her that Kitty had the power to ruin everything she had worked so hard to create.

And, that was where some understanding started coming about.

Kurt looked at her questioningly. "So you don't love Lance then?"

Forgetting herself, Rogue made a noise of disgust. "Uh, no," she sated matter-of-factly.

Kurt paused, unsure of how to proceed. He hadn't expected such an answer from Kitty, who was usually so kind and caring. He furrowed his brow. "Something's different about you, Kitty."

"So you've said."

"I can't tell if it's good or bad, but," Kurt began then slowed down a little, "I suppose there isn't really going to be a better time than this."

Rogue hesitated, suspicious. "Kurt, what are you talking about?"

He began to lean forward into her personal space. Try as she might to back away, she was stuck by the chair and the desktop. It struck her. She was Kitty to him, and he had a crush on Kitty. Suddenly her nerves went wild.

"You've probably already guessed by now, but for a while I've-"

"Kurt!" Rogue interrupted. "You don't need to do this, really." She chuckled nervously.

"No, Kitty, I have to get this off my chest before I miss the opportunity again." He took a deep breath. "You are one of my best friends, but for a while I've had deeper feelings for you. I-I love you, Kitty."

Rogue shook her head, hiding her face behind her hand. "Oh, no."

"I don't know how good I am about hiding it, though," he continued, not noticing. "I'm sure you already picked up on it. But, I figured there wouldn't be any better timing than now."

When he didn't say anything after a couple of seconds, she ventured a glance. She saw him staring at her expectantly. Her eyes darted about, as if attempting to find an escape route.

"Kurt," she began slowly, "I'm not really in a position to answer at the moment."

"I know," he answered quickly. "It is all very sudden. And, I don't want to rush you or anything, but…"

He trailed off, and for a very brief moment Rogue thought that she was going to be spared anymore awkwardness. But, instead of getting up and walking out, he swiftly leaned in closer, aiming for her lips. Luckily, Rogue was just fast enough to avoid the surprise kiss.

In doing so, she managed to lean too far back, putting herself off balance. And, it was as she was falling backward that she actually managed to utilize Kitty's powers and phase through the floor. She had been able to phase her hand through the trees when practicing outside during Logan's lesson. This, however, was an entirely new experience, and she didn't know that she liked it very much.

As she was dragged downward by gravity, she squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to focus on maintaining a solid form. Praying that she wouldn't fall through to the center of the earth was a bit distracting, though.

She hit the ground hard, but relief spread through her before she fell unconscious from the impact.


	13. Consciousness

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Sorry about the long wait. I was actually going to make this chapter longer by extending it into the next day. However, it was taking too long for me to jot down the school day. So, I know this is a little short, but here you go. Just a little something, but getting slowly to the end.

 **Chapter 13 – Consciousness**

Kitty was the first one she saw when she opened her eyes. Well, technically it was her face. But, she instantly remembered that it belonged to Kitty now, not her.

Rogue groaned. "Don't look at me like that," she muttered, covering her eyes.

She hadn't forgotten about the fall or the throbbing in her head. In fact, Kitty's expression verified the events. She just wished that she had been found and tended to by someone else.

Kitty sighed. She fished on the floor for some unseen object. "Can you please try to take better care of my body? I'd like something decent to return to when this is all over." She threw a small ice pack onto Rogue's stomach.

Rogue snatched it up delicately and held it to the bruised spot on her head. "I didn't do this on purpose, if that's what you think."

She shrugged. "Who cares what I think anymore?"

Rogue took that moment to glance about her surroundings. She was actually back in their shared bedroom, on her bed. It looked like Kitty, or whoever, had gotten things quite comfortable for her. But any other aid was unknown because she had been left alone with her roommate.

Rogue frowned. "Have you been watching over me?"

"Someone had to," Kitty responded quietly.

"Thanks," Rogue mumbled.

There was a pause before Kitty changed the topic slightly. "I hope you can see now that all I have ever tried to do is include you. I'm just concerned."

"How do I know that you aren't just concerned over your body's well-being?" Rogue teased, smirking slightly.

Either Kitty didn't see or she simply ignored the gesture because she didn't appear to be amused. "Do you honestly think that I'm, like, so conceited?"

"No, I-" Rogue faltered, frowning.

"I know now how you must feel on a day to day basis," Kitty continued, interrupting. "It's difficult knowing that you might actually hurt people if you were to touch them even the slightest. The constant awareness of that is, like, exhausting."

Rogue didn't know what to say. It seemed out of the blue that Kitty was attempting to connect on a deeper level with her. Then again, she had never thought that her roommate would ever be able to see things through her eyes. And, then again, neither of them could have ever foreseen something of this nature happening.

"Thank you, Kitty," she whispered then fell into silence rather awkwardly.

Kitty sighed. "Well, you weren't out for long—just a couple of hours at most. So be prepared to attend school tomorrow. Kurt was the one that reported what had happened."

Kitty glanced up at her rather suspiciously.

"Nothing happened," Rogue defended quickly. "He tried to kiss me. Well, you. He tried, but I fell through the floor trying to get away. I really don't envy you on this whole boy situation, Kitty."

"It's not like I asked for any of it."

"I know." Rogue offered a small, friendly smile.

Kitty's brown eyes went wide with realization. "Although," she added carefully, "sometimes, I suppose, you have to get used to boys chasing after you."

"What?" Rogue blushed. "This doesn't have anything to do with what you said about Remy, does it?"

Kitty cleared her throat and stood up, waving her hand dismissively. "I know you, like, just woke up, but you need to rest. We have school tomorrow then a meeting with the Professor. He's going to set things right once and for all."


	14. Second Thoughts

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So, I figure that there are probably going to be about three more chapters, possibly four, left in this story. I am already figuring how to end it and working my way to it. Obviously, that means winding down the romance options, as always. So, though it may not seem like it right now, rest assured that there will be some sort of, hopefully, satisfying conclusion.

 **Chapter 14 – Second Thoughts**

It was only expected that Rogue would do whatever she could to avoid Kurt the following day. Granted, she had to get to school somehow, but at least she was surrounded by other people. It would only be if they were alone that he would dare to breach the subject of yesterday's attempted kiss. So, she ensured that they never found themselves alone.

Luckily, Kitty knew the whole story and aided in her attempts to avoid Kurt. But, eventually they had to go their separate ways, as well.

Rogue couldn't wait to return to her own body. She was already so over being Kitty. She wasn't used to all of this attention, nor did she enjoy it. She thought that perhaps it was something she had been yearning for, but now, she could clearly see that she had been mistaken. She had looked on it from an outsider's point of view. She had glorified the attention. But, now she could rightly tell Kitty that she didn't envy this aspect of her life.

She had to admit, though, that Kitty did manage to help her in some way. After all, Rogue could never have otherwise known about Remy. She hardly trusted her own feelings for him, let alone any suspicions might have had. She still hated to admit it to herself, but he had somehow gotten in. She just never dreamed that she would ever be worthy of him, or that her dark demeanor would ever catch his fancy.

She smiled to herself.

But, then realization dawned on her, and that smile faded.

Once she was back in her own body, things would be different. It wasn't as if she would suddenly be able to touch people without hurting them. She was starting to feel self-conscious. There was that same notion creeping in again telling her that it wasn't such a good idea.

"What kind of life would I be able to offer?" she muttered to herself.

"Kitty," the teacher at the head of the classroom called out, "did you have something to add?"

All eyes turned to her and she glanced about in embarrassment. She even managed to sink down a bit in her seat, as if attempting to hide.

"No," Rogue answered apologetically, at which point the rest of the students snickered in response.

xXx

School couldn't end fast enough for Kitty. She couldn't concentrate. All she could think about was Professor Xavier and finding a solution to their current predicament. If he wasn't able to provide an answer then she truly believed that they would be stuck forever.

At lunchtime, the only thing that could distract her from these thoughts was the sight of Lance. She watched him pass by with his friends in The Brotherhood seemingly without a second thought about her or their situation. The only thing she could really note was that he appeared to be a bit more dismissive and uncaring than usual.

She felt a heavy emptiness rest on her heart when she looked at Lance. She wanted to cry, but refused to do so, especially considering Rogue would probably murder her if she did. She was still in Rogue's body, after all. So if she cried, Rogue cried. And, nobody ever saw Rogue cry.

Kitty was heartbroken. While she had blamed Rogue, she knew that it wasn't just because Lance and Rogue couldn't get along. Though that did create tension, there had to be something else troubling him that led him to break things off. That hurt her more than anything—to think that Lance had the intention of ending their relationship that only had to do with her.

It was a simple enough answer to why she hurt so much.

Kitty sighed, shifting so that she could stare out the window. Dwelling on Lance was exhausting. She didn't know what she would do after they returned to their own bodies. She didn't know how she could fix things between her and Lance. She could always try the truth, but it still seemed ridiculous to her.

She began to blink more often and slower, as if her lids were growing heavy. She knew better than to sleep in class, but she had long since stopped listening to the lecture at the front of the classroom. One moment she saw that tree that had become so familiar. Then darkness as she blinked. The next moment she saw Remy loitering by said tree. Then darkness as she blinked again.

She suddenly felt a surge of energy, and sat up straight in her seat. She rubbed her eyes, disbelieving what they had just captured. She glanced out the window again. Sure enough, Remy still loitered where she had spied him at.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion and disgust. His presence just made things worse, and knowing that he would seek her out much against her will was already frustrating. He was going to make things complicated, that was for sure. She couldn't expect anything less.

At that final bell, releasing the students from their prison, she was already anticipating what would occur. She retrieved what books Rogue would need to finish any homework, since she sure as hell wouldn't be doing any of it after that evening.

Jean found her as she was making her way to the front doors, her backpack secured over both shoulders. It wasn't unexpected that Jean should have sought her out that day.

"Are you ready?" Jean asked under her breath, not wanting any of the other students all headed in the same direction to overhear.

"Since this thing first happened," Kitty replied casually.

They managed to exit with the crowd. And, that was when she saw him. He wasn't terribly far off, but just enough to separate himself from the students.

"I've got something I need to take care of first," Kitty added, looking at Jean.

Jean caught sight of Remy and immediately understood what Kitty was referring to. She furrowed her brow, concerned. "Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?"

Kitty shook her head. "No. I can handle this on my own."

Jean touched her arm consolingly. "We'll be waiting for you just over there."

Kitty walked over to Remy, who smiled at her approach. Unfortunately, it was difficult for her to do the same.

"Rogue," he greeted. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."

She shrugged. "What can I say? I'm, like, a busy person."

His weight shifted uncomfortably. She didn't know if she had ever seen him so self-conscious. "I thought it might have something to do with-"

"About that," Kitty interrupted. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Anything," he breathed.

She hesitated. "I'm…I'm not who you think I am."

When she paused, he immediately took the opportunity to console her. "You mean lately? Rogue, despite very different behavior, I count it as part of your charm. You caught my interest long before the last couple weeks."

Kitty was rendered silent momentarily. She smiled at him, pleased to hear him say such a thing. To her, that meant that he genuinely cared for Rogue. It hadn't been something she did. It wasn't her particular behavior or style. Perhaps she had pushed him enough to confess, but that was all she could claim to have done.

"Better be careful with this one, Remy," a voice interrupted cruelly, "you never know which personality you're going to get."

Lance walked right in between them, making both Remy and Kitty back up a step, and leaving them both rather bewildered at his comment. He had a spark of anger and resentment in his eye, which was noticeable as he passed.

"There's no need to be jealous, Lance," Remy replied almost immediately. He was always able to react on the spur of the moment.

"Jealous, right," he said sarcastically.

Kitty stared at him with tears welling up in her eyes. Though she knew she probably shouldn't take that comment personally, she couldn't help it. She still had feelings for Lance and was sensitive to his criticisms, even if she currently was supposed to be someone else.

"Lance," she called after him, rather pathetically. He didn't even acknowledge her. "Lance, please."

Remy glanced between her and Lance, trying to understand. "What was that all about?" he asked as nonchalantly as he could. She didn't respond. His brow crinkled as his annoyance grew. "Wait, is there something going on between you two?"

Kitty turned slowly back to Remy, but she no longer looked at him. Her head was bowed as she contemplated Lance. She hardly even recognized Remy's presence anymore. She just yearned for Lance, for his understanding, for his forgiveness. But, she knew she couldn't obtain that by being Rogue or by continuing to lie to him.

"Rogue," Remy demanded, "I think I deserve an explanation."

"I'm not Rogue!" Kitty confessed.

Remy shook his head, confused. "What?"

Staring him straight in the eyes, she said again, "I am not Rogue."

He chuckled incredulously.

"I know. I sound ridiculous, but I am not Rogue."

Remy sighed impatiently. "Then who are you?"

"Kitty."

He raised an eyebrow. "You really expect me to believe this excuse?"

"That pink scrunchy. The ponytail. Do you honestly think Rogue would ever be caught dead with something like that in her hair? Especially in front of you."

"Of course not, but I thought we had already discussed that?"

Kitty shook her head. Apparently, this was harder than she had expected it to be. "Then ask me a question that, like, only Rogue would know the answer to. Ask me about that black sweater. Ask me about that meeting in the park."

He sighed, obviously unconvinced. "Fine. If you want to play this game then let's do it. What did I say was my one weakness?"

After a brief pause, she said, "I have no idea. Southern food? Honestly, I couldn't even say what you two had, like, spoken about."

Remy hesitated, suspicious and wary. "You," he said quietly and simply. "My one weakness is you, Rogue."

Kitty had to rethink her approach. That confession threw her off of her guard. She swallowed, taking a small step forward. "Remy, listen to me, please. I am not Rogue. The one you said that to, the girl you…you…I am not her."

Remy studied her pleading eyes. "That kiss," he whispered, sounding convinced.

Kitty smirked, one side of her mouth rising. "If you, like, call that a kiss."

Remy laughed. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Who knew you had a sense of humor, Kitty."

So relieved, Kitty threw her arms around Remy, hugging him. She felt him stiffen then ease into her embrace.

Remy took a step backward once she had released him. "So if you are in Rogue's body then Rogue is in…"

"She's in mine. She currently is me," Kitty confirmed. "So, I guess you know what to look for now. But," she pointed an accusatory finger at him, "keep in mind I'll be watching. That is my body, after all."

Kitty walked away from him and to the area Jean and Kurt occupied with the other mutants waiting to return to the mansion. She still had a small smile plastered on her face, which was a combination of relief and gratitude.

However, the others didn't take it that way.

"You two looked awfully cozy over there," Kurt teased. "No wonder you have a smile on your face, Rogue."

Kitty frowned, which was rather difficult given her mood. "Shouldn't you be concentrating on getting us back to the mansion?" she reminded.

"I was waiting for Kitty. She's not here yet."

"Wait, what?"

"Kitty, she's still coming," Kurt said with a shrug.

Kitty looked back to the school building and sighed.


	15. Confession

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** I promise I didn't try to make this chapter a Kitty sob-story, but it did kinda rather turn out that way…unintentionally… The focus of the story does fall on Rogue and Kitty, so this isn't trying to make Kitty out to be the star or anything. I think, in this case, Lance's reaction would be quite cold and warranted. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, as it was rather fun to write. There will be more wrap up in the next chapter or two before the end.

 **Chapter 15 – Confession**

Rogue sighed, pulling the necessary books from Kitty's locker and tucking them safely into her backpack. The halls were just about empty with the only remaining students being the stragglers. She wasn't in a terrible hurry to leave the premises that day.

She still felt rather out of it due to the fall she had experienced the day before. It was causing her to move a little slower than usual. It was also weighing on her mind that she would finally be returning to her own body that evening. That is, if everything went according to plan with the professor.

While she wanted to return to her own body and her own life more than anything, the possibilities that Kitty's body presented left her with doubts. She wouldn't ever do anything to compromise Kitty's reputation, or at least she would try not to. But, it was likely that she would never be able to actually experience the cuddling or kissing that often resulted from feelings of romance. Well, if ever Remy presented such an opportunity. And, that was rather depressing.

She closed the locker and made her way slowly down the hallway toward the front doors. She realized that her fellow mutants were probably waiting for her before teleporting back to the mansion. She didn't want Kitty to catch onto her doubts or hesitation. That would be the last thing she needed.

Rogue pushed her way out of the building and into the blinding sunlight. She stopped, shading her eyes with her hand and glancing about. It wasn't difficult to spot Jean's flaming red hair and the congregation surrounding her just a little ways away. She supposed that if anyone had to find out about their switch, Jean was the best choice. At least she was always willing to lend a helping hand.

She had barely made it down the steps when her path was cut off. She glanced up, curiously, and was quite surprised to Remy blocking her way.

At first she was taken aback. But, she tried to compose herself and react in the way she was sure Kitty would. The small smile turning up his lips was quite distracting, though. "Oh, uh, Remy. What do you, like, want?"

His smile spread. "Rogue," he whispered.

Her breath caught in her throat and a pink blush spread across her cheeks. It was like he had just discovered her deepest secret. She was so surprised that she wasn't even sure she had heard him correctly.

"What did you call me?" she breathed.

Remy didn't answer. At least, not in the way she had expected.

Instantly, his lips were on hers. He had pulled her in against his body, and she could feel the warmth emanating off of him. She had never before been so close to him. Needless to say, she didn't know how to react. Her eyes were wide with shock briefly before she gradually gave in. Her body relaxed against his, and her arms even snaked around his neck.

It could have lasted forever and she wouldn't have ever known because she lost all track of time. But, when the embrace finally ended, she already yearned for more. She hadn't been able to properly react during the kiss and afterward seemed even worse.

"What's this all about?"

The deep, commanding voice shook her back to reality. Rogue glanced over to find that Lance had joined them. She could see The Brotherhood loitering nearby, judging whether or not they would have to get involved, as well. The rest of the students in the area seemed uninterested, since Lance and Kitty arguing wasn't necessarily a new event.

"Lance?"

He interrupted her, continuing in his frustration and anger. "Are you kidding me right now, Kitty? This guy?"

"Listen, Lance," Remy tried to help, "it isn't what you think."

Lance stepped up into his face. "Well then I'd love to hear your take on the situation."

"Lance, you don't need to do this," Rogue tried to soothe.

He turned on her. "How can you do this, Kitty? You've become a completely different person."

Rogue glanced over at where Jean stood with Kitty and Kurt. All three were watching her. She pleaded with her eyes, hoping that one of them might be able to help her. She had never before found herself in a situation like this.

"Has this been going on all along?" Lance was saying.

Rogue shook her head. "No, don't think that."

"I have a right to know, Kitty." At this point he wasn't even listening to what she had to say. He was very nearly talking right over her. "I can't believe this."

"Lance, I'm not-"

"What's going on over here?" Kurt interrupted. He had recognized her need for assistance and had come right over. Unfortunately, Rogue would have preferred anyone to Kurt right now.

She put a hand out, stopping him. "Kurt, it's under control. You can leave."

"Yeah, why don't you just disappear?" Lance said snidely.

Kurt stuck a strong finger out at him. "Why don't you let Kitty speak for herself for once?"

Lance scoffed. "Him, too?"

"It's not like that, Lance."

Kurt appeared hurt. "But, you kissed me."

"She what!?"

"I did not," Rogue corrected. "You tried to-"

"This just keeps getting better and better," Lance said sarcastically. The hurt in his voice was apparent now.

Remy put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. He nodded once, confirming the only thing she could do. She didn't want to, but there really was no other way to get out of this. She took a deep breath.

"That's enough!" she called over the arguing boys. "I'm not Kitty."

"What?"

Lance and Kurt looked equally confused and even somewhat annoyed. She knew it wasn't likely they would just believe her. So, when she saw Kitty approaching, relief began to flood over her.

"Listen, I'm not Kitty," she said again. "You have the wrong person."

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard," Lance responded in disbelief.

"I look like Kitty because this is Kitty's body. But, I'm not her." Kitty stopped next to her. "I'm Rogue."

"It's true," Remy confirmed.

"Did you two come up with this?" Kurt teased, though looking anything but happy.

Kitty shook her head. "No, it is the truth." Her gaze shifted over onto Lance. "I'm so sorry, Lance. We couldn't tell anyone."

He shook his head. "No way. This is impossible."

"That's exactly what we said when it first happened," Kitty replied.

Lance sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "How long?" He sounded exhausted. It was still difficult for him to believe anything. "How long has this been going on?"

Kitty and Rogue looked at each other, rather guiltily at that. It wasn't wrong for either of them to think that they hadn't actually lied to people. After all, they only had to gauge the reactions they were receiving to confirm that their concealment had been the right thing to do. Even, so it was understandable that it seemed as if they had intentionally tricked them.

"About one week now," Kitty revealed, some shame in her tone, "perhaps a bit longer. I might have lost track."

"So that kiss?" Kurt asked with a gulp. "It was…"

Rogue raised her hand as if someone was taking attendance. "That was me. Rogue, that is." She frowned and added quickly, "And there was no actual kiss."

Kurt shook his head, shoving his hands into his pockets. He bowed his head, his hair falling into his eyes, trying to hide the blush of embarrassment that stained his cheeks. "Well why don't we keep going with that: it never happened." He sauntered off to where Jean and the others loitered.

Remy placed his hand on Rogue's shoulder again. He could see the tension and disappointment in Lance's posture and expression. "We should leave them alone to talk," he suggested.

Rogue looked to Kitty, who nodded her agreement. They, too, walked in the direction of Jean and the others.

"So, was this supposed to be some kind of test?" Lance uttered, spinning to face Kitty. "Was I supposed to catch that it wasn't actually you?"

"No," Kitty reassured adamantly, "not at all. This isn't even about you, Lance. Something happened to Rogue and me to make us switch bodies. We weren't even sure what was going on. We didn't want to scare anyone."

"You didn't want to scare anyone, Kitty," he repeated, "but you did a damn good job of hurting everyone."

She took a step toward him. "Believe me, it was never our intention. In fact, that's exactly what we were, like, trying to avoid."

Lance shook his head, distancing himself. "You know what, Kitty? I just don't know what to believe anymore." He pivoted on his heel and sulked all the way back to where his friends were waiting for him.

Kitty was left not knowing what to say or how to act. She could call out to him, but he wouldn't listen. That was the thing about Lance: when he made up his mind there was no changing it. Her eyes filled with tears she was still afraid to shed. But, as she walked back to her friends, it was easy to tell that she was on the very verge of breaking.

"Kitty," Rogue ventured carefully, "are you alright?"

Kitty simply shook her head, sniffling a little. "Let's just go and, like, get this over with," she mumbled.

Rogue glanced over her shoulder at Remy, who stood a foot or two away, with a worried expression. But, the next second, they were gone in a puff of smoke.


	16. The Return

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So, as things develop in stories, authors realize that certain things need to be included. Therefore, perhaps two or three more chapters are necessary to end this. I went this route with how this all came about because I wanted to figure in this world of mutants. I tried to keep it short and to the point, though, since it isn't necessarily the main focus. Well, anyway, enjoy.

 **Chapter 16 – The Return**

"Well, it does seem to be exactly as you two described," Professor Xavier confirmed.

He rolled backward a couple of feet, offering Kitty and Rogue some space. He had just taken the time to hear out their story and to look into their minds to verify it. He was rather surprised to find their tale legitimate. But, he didn't seem to be at a loss to the situation, which put the girls a little on edge.

"How could this have happened, professor?" Jean asked, cozying up next to Scott. Time apart had been good for their relationship. It had only been a couple of hours since they had reunited, but they couldn't stand to be more than a few feet away from each other.

"It appears their consciousness have completely switched," he explained. "All of what makes Kitty Kitty is in Rogue's body, and all of what makes Rogue Rogue is in Kitty's body. It's fascinating, really."

"Inconvenient is more like it," Kitty mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

She was still really upset over how everything had come to a head and been revealed earlier at school. It was the confrontation with Lance that kept her feeling empty.

"This will all be over soon, Kitty," Rogue whispered. "Everything will be fine."

"Easy for you to say," she grumbled again then sighed.

Scott glanced from the two girls sitting on the couch to the professor. "How can we fix this?"

The professor nestled back in his chair, getting comfortable. It was an indication that he was about to go into a bit of a story. "As you know," he addressed the small group, "Scott and I have been away attending to a matter. A new mutant appeared through Cerebro with abilities unlike any I have ever seen or encountered."

"What does this have to do with our situation, professor?" Rogue asked.

"Well, it just so happens that this mutant has the exact ability to switch one conscious with another in two self-aware beings, including himself."

Scott addressed the group. "When we arrived at his home, we didn't find him there. Instead, we found his twin brother. We believe that Cerebro detected his conscious and not his actual physical form. We figured that he had been present in his brother and had immediately switched back to his own body once he discovered we were on his trail."

"So you think that he, like, did this to us? But why would he do such a thing?" Kitty scowled.

"Why don't you ask him yourself, Kitty?"

The professor raised his hand toward an adjoining door that slowly creaked open. A young boy with cropped jet black hair came timidly forward. His head was bowed much like a toddler learning he was in trouble with his guardians.

"We found Kai Zheng in Bayville, actually, and explained to him who we are and what we do," the professor introduced. "He admitted everything earlier today when I told him of your situation, Kitty and Rogue."

"I had overheard the argument you two were having and I thought I might be able to help you understand one another better," Kai said in a careful and apologetic tone. "I never meant to hurt anyone."

Kitty frowned, feeling guilty that she had put all of her disappointment and frustration onto this child. "You didn't," she responded quickly. "It really did help us to see the other's point of view, right Rogue?"

She elbowed Rogue, who quickly chimed in, "That's right. Just don't let it happen again." She winked somewhat playfully.

The boy blushed and turned his toes inward.

"So what do we do to fix this, Kai?" Kitty asked with a smile on her face. It was forced and it was difficult for her to maintain, but she wore it for his benefit.

Kai looked up and over at the professor, as if asking him for permission. Professor Xavier nodded in reassurance and moved forward. "Kai told us all about the process. He switches with his brother quite often, but the first time he did it was rather rough."

"It was easier when you two were asleep," Kai added. "That way you didn't have to feel it. I am afraid that being awake will be a completely different experience."

Rogue and Kitty looked at each other. Though a word didn't pass between them, there was something silently shared. They smiled at one another, knowing that it was time to return things to normal.

"I think we're ready."

Kai approached the two slowly. Just a few inches shy of actually touching them, Kai's hands hovered just in front of their foreheads. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow, obviously concentrating hard. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, unexpectedly, there was a mental explosion.

Searing pain erupted in both of their heads, causing them to clench their eyes shut and recoil. Their mind seemed a rush of color, like a car speeding through a lit tunnel at night. Everything was rushing by and it was impossible for either girl to focus.

Then, just as abruptly, everything went dark.

xXx

Kitty awoke slowly, clutching her head. It felt very heavy and congested. She didn't want to lift it from the pillow, but she did so anyway, proceeding carefully. She winced a little and groaned from the strain.

"You'll want to take things slow, Kitty," a calming voice instructed.

She turned her head, perhaps a little too fast as a bolt of pain shot across her mind, in the direction of the voice. She managed to make out Jean sitting next to her bed wearing a small, pleasant smile.

"Jean, what-" She abruptly cut herself off. Her voice sounded somewhat odd, but familiar.

Jean seemed amused by her concern. "Welcome back."

It took Kitty a moment to realize what Jean had said. But, as soon as she did, she jumped up, forgetting the ache in her head, and ran to the full length mirror. The chocolate locks, somewhat tousled from sleep. The baby blue eyes. The pale, but not as pale as Rogue's, skin. She was herself again!

Examining her hands, as if making sure they were definitely hers, she turned around. "It worked! I'm, like, me again!" She giggled.

"Will you keep it down?" a muffled voice hollered from the other bed. Kitty's eyes fell onto the clump of sheets and blankets that hid Rogue. "Some of us still can still use the thirty minutes left before the alarm goes off to sleep."

Without warning, Kitty jumped onto the bed, jostling Rogue and most certainly waking her up. "Rogue! Rogue, wake up!"

Rogue managed to find an escape route out of the cave in of blankets. She poked her head through, still trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. "What do you think-" But she immediately stopped, her mouth hanging open, when she saw Kitty and her large grin staring down at her.

"Guess what?"

Rogue threw off the rest of the covers and rushed to the mirror just like Kitty had done. She glanced her image up and down, as if ensuring she wasn't just seeing things or being fooled. "I'm not you anymore. I-I am myself again."

Kitty couldn't tell if she was glad to have been returned back to her own body or if she was upset because of it. "Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I am," Rogue snapped. She sighed when she realized how she had reacted, but they both knew it was a dumb question. "But…Remy."

The room fell silent. The moment of elation was gone for Kitty, because at the mention of Remy, thoughts of Lance flooded her. She had to finally deal with that issue and she knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"At least he understands," Kitty said quietly, bowing her head. "Rogue, Remy already confessed that it was all you and everything you did that, like, attracted him. That should be enough. It shouldn't come down to the physical boundaries."

Rogue looked at Kitty, pity in her eyes. "Kitty, I'm so sorry. I should have tried harder."

Kitty shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out. I always do." She smiled an empty and rather pathetic smile.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Jean said carefully, hesitantly, standing up. "But the professor just asked me for an update on you two. He was wondering if you would are fit to go to school today."

Kitty and Rogue looked at each other, a moment of silent understanding passing between them.

"I think we could both use the distraction," Rogue answered.


	17. A Walk in the Park

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** Starting to wrap things up. Getting everything resolved and whatnot. I expect the next chapter will be the final one. Stay tuned!

 **Chapter 17 – A Walk in the Park**

It took some time, but by the end of the week, Rogue had gotten back into her normal routine. That first day back had found her acting oddly, muck like she had done when she had been Kitty. But, she eventually got used to the idea that she had been restored to her own body. She did find that there was some catching up to do in class, despite the efforts of Kitty to expose her to what was happening while she was absent.

The social world of Bayville High was a completely separate issue. It was simple enough to put in extra hours to ensure she understood what was being covered in class, but to re-evaluate her social standing amongst her peers proved to be much more difficult.

She had been expecting to be surrounded by a group of giggling, obnoxious girls when she had walked back into the school. Instead, everyone had ignored her. She found the silence and invisibility rather comforting, but there was a part of her that longed for the attention. Kitty's life was much different than her own—that much she knew for certain now. She had never truly known before what Kitty went through on a daily basis. She had thought her roommate's life was so much simpler. In some ways, yes, it was. But, overall, Kitty had difficulties of her own that Rogue could never comprehend.

Guilt managed to follow Rogue back into her own body, as well. Kitty had managed to do something that she had never thought possible herself. Kitty had been able to get Remy to notice Rogue and even admit his feelings for her. That was something she had only ever dreamed of. And, Rogue had repaid her by breaking Lance and her up. It was something that she just couldn't leave alone.

It was easy to spot Remy from across the park that afternoon and to make her way toward him. She couldn't help smirking as she approached him. He loitered near a tree rather awkwardly, glancing about impatiently for her. It was a side of him that she wasn't used to seeing. He always tried to be so suave and on-point in her presence.

"Remy," she announced, and he nearly jumped, startled that she had managed to come up unnoticed behind him.

"Rogue," he breathed, settling down.

"Is he coming?" she asked, getting right down to business.

Remy shrugged. "He said he would, but I suppose we can only wait and see."

"I don't think I should be the one to greet him," Rogue said with a frown. "He's probably not going to be super excited to see me."

"I guess not," Remy agreed. "Why don't you just stay behind this tree here until you find your moment?"

Rogue shrugged and tested it out. She went behind the tree, testing her visibility and range.

"Incoming," Remy announced. "You may want to stay back there. Lance is headed this way."

She held her position, and waited.

"I came all the way out here, now what do you want, Remy?" Lance asked, disgruntled. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he glanced about in suspicion.

"We need to talk, Lance," he said simply.

"That's a first," Lance scoffed.

"I'm serious."

Lance rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'm not interested in any of your usual bullshit."

Remy furrowed his brow and glared at the young man. "What are-"

But, before he could finish his retort, Rogue stepped out from behind the tree, interrupting what would have surely been a confrontation. It was sooner than she would have expected, but it couldn't be helped. "He asked you out here for me."

"Rogue!" Lance exclaimed, initially surprised. Then his expression morphed into the usual one of annoyance. "What do you want from me? Haven't you and Kitty embarrassed me enough as it is?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, already finding it hard to keep her patience with him. "I want to help you two."

"I think you've done enough."

"Hear her out, Lance," Remy interjected. "Do you think they planned all of this? They're as much a victim here as you are."

Lance sighed. "What do you think you're going to do, Rogue? How do you plan to solve this? You can't fix us. It's not that easy."

"I know," she said quieter. "But, I am hoping that my apology might help at least a little."

"Your apology?"

"I'm sorry, Lance," Rogue stated sincerely, but a little awkwardly. "I don't think I ever realized before just how much you mean to Kitty. And, I've been selfish to never try to get to know you just because we don't get along."

Lance appeared genuinely surprised that she had said such a thing. He had never expected her to ever admit to being wrong or selfish. In a way, he may not have realized that he, too, was being just as selfish in not getting to know her. After all, even if they had just one thing in common, that this was Kitty. And, she was enough for him to want to better himself.

"Say something," Rogue ordered, as they had fallen into silence.

Lance shook his head, coming out of his reverie. "I have to say, Rogue, that I am surprised you would admit that. I appreciate it."

Though it was small and nearly invisible, Rogue smiled. She felt a small weight lifted from her already. But, she wasn't done yet. She had to disclose everything. She had to let him hear the entire truth.

"There's more I need to tell you," she continued. "That party at Duncan's house. Though you've probably already guessed, that wasn't Kitty. That was me. Kitty would never do anything like what I did, or at least not intentionally."

"Yeah," he replied with a shrug and a frown, "I did kind of figure that already."

Remy looked puzzled. "Wait, what happened at this party?"

Rogue shook her head dismissively, ignoring his question. "Everything nasty or dismissive that was said to you over the past couple of weeks was all me, Lance," she explained. "Kitty wanted me to be nicer to you, but I was too stubborn."

"Was?" Remy questioned with an amused smirk and raise of an eyebrow.

She glared at him. "You're not helping."

Lance shook his head, stepping away then pacing back. It was clear he was over this intervention. He seemed unconvinced. "Listen," he said calmly, "I think it's nice that you are stepping in on Kitty's behalf, but to be honest I don't know that it really changes anything. I've just," he sighed, "I've got a lot to think about, I suppose."

"Lance, please," Rogue insisted, taking a step forward.

He held up a hand, silencing her. "Really, Rogue, thank you. But, this is something I have to do on my own."

He shoved his hands back into his pockets and stalked off.

Rogue was left speechless, staring after him, yearning for him to make things right. There wasn't anything that she could do, though. She was helpless. It was a situation that she felt she had created and now she couldn't do anything to make it right.

She remained unresponsive until Remy's hand fell gently upon her shoulder. "Nice try," he cooed.

She sighed and turned toward him. "Yeah, I suppose." She shrugged. "I still feel bad, though."

"You did all you could."

"But, it's not enough." She looked up at Remy, staring into his eyes. "I mean, look at what Kitty did for us? And, all I did was break her and Lance up. It's not right."

Remy pulled her close, enveloping her in his long arms. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. She felt so warm and comfortable against him. Again, something that wouldn't have been possible if not for her roommate. Still, she managed a smile.

"He'll come around," Remy finally said after a momentary pause.

"And what makes you say that?"

"I could tell." Rogue took a step back to look up at him. "When you two were talking about, well, everything, I could just tell that it wasn't over. There was too much hesitation on his part."

Rogue frowned. "I suppose you could be right. But, I guess we'll just have to wait and see."


	18. The Last Piece

**Disclaimer:** I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

 **Title:** The Differences Between Us

 **Summary:** Kitty doesn't understand Rogue, and Rogue doesn't understand Kitty. But when they are suddenly thrown into the other's body, they'll have to learn to cope quickly.

 **Author's Note:** So this chapter has a lot of feels. Please be prepared. I don't know why my stories always revert to sappiness, as I don't think I am an overly sappy person. I need to come up with something that will mostly be void of this. We shall see what the future holds…Anyway, thank you for tuning in. I appreciate all of the reviews and interest shown. Thank you so much, everyone!

 **Chapter 18 – The Last Piece**

Kitty had found a nice patch of shade on the otherwise sunny day in the back gardens of the mansion grounds. She had brought her laptop and school books with her in order to try to get the necessary homework done for the following school day. So far, it didn't seem to be working.

She had also thought that the change of scenery would help to clear her head, but she found herself still bombarded by the same thoughts. Needless to say, that also wasn't a benefit for her homework progress.

It had been just a week since she had been returned to her own body, and it really could not have mattered. Naturally, she had met up with her few friends, though they had seemed to treat her a bit more cautiously. She didn't find herself craving their attention. It was easy enough for her to catch up with her schoolwork, but, then again, she had always been a very good student.

Above all else, it was Lance that she had missed the most. And, he was the only thing still missing.

She had attempted to speak with him her first day back, but he hadn't given her the time of day. He readily removed himself from wherever she had tracked him down. As the days passed, she noticed him purposely avoiding her. By the end of the week, she had simply made it easier for him by trying to forget about him altogether.

The only issue was that it was harder than she had thought it would be.

Memories of Lance invaded her every waking moment. At night, the ghost of Lance appeared in her dreams. The more she tried to not think about him, the more she did. It was torture.

To make matters worse, Kurt, who was one of her best friends, was hardly speaking to her now, either. She knew that he felt embarrassed and awkward, but because she hadn't been present for his failed kiss, she couldn't understand and was just frustrated at his constant strained presence. Rogue had been available to fill the void for the most part. She was actually much more empathetic than she had ever been before.

She had her notebook open and her textbook just alongside her. She re-read the same problem for about the fifth time before her frustration got the better of her. With a noise of disgust, she slammed her notebook down.

"This is, like, impossible," she growled to herself. "I can't concentrate."

She sighed, leaning her head back against the tree she sat under. She tried taking deep breaths to calm herself, and it seemed to be working. But, just a couple of seconds later, Lance's face appeared from the darkness.

Immediately, her eyes snapped open, but this time she was less angry and more exhausted. She drew her knees up against her chest and cradled them, resting her chin atop her kneecaps. She sat there with a frown on her face, merely staring ahead at nothing in particular, for a good couple of minutes. Then her eyes shifted and went wide at what she saw.

Clearly, it was Lance crossing the lawn toward her. His hands were shoved in his pockets, and he walked with his normal hunched, casual gait. It only took her by surprise for a second then her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"And now I'm hallucinating," she muttered to herself. "Good job, Kitty. You've officially gone crazy. And, why? All because of some boy." She shook her head, feeling defeated. "Well, maybe not just some boy. He's more than that. I mean, he was the first person who really understood you when your powers first emerged. He's…" She trailed off. She growled loudly in frustration. "This is your problem, Kitty. You need to get over it."

"Are you talking to yourself?"

The voice startled her. She nearly jumped. She had thought Lance had just been a figment of her imagination, but it turned out that he was actually physically standing in front of her. He stared down at her with an eyebrow raised. Apparently, he had heard some of what she had been saying aloud to herself.

A blush crept across her cheeks. She tried to play it off, though, anger and hurt overcoming all other feelings. "No," she insisted at first. When the silence seemed to last too long and become too awkward, she got to her feet to face him. "I mean, what do you care?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "And, like, what are you even doing here, Lance?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "I wanted to talk."

"It hasn't seemed that way the past week. You know you can't just show up here and expect me to talk to you just because you are ready."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

She thought she had misheard him. "What?"

"I said I am sorry."

She paused a moment, thrown off guard a little. "Well, I'm sorry, too, Lance. Because, that's not enough. You really hurt me, you know."

"I was really hurt, too, Kitty," he insisted.

"But, none of that was my fault!" She was ready to argue her point, whether or not he would listen.

"You don't think you should have told me as soon as you two had switched bodies? You don't think I deserved to know what was going on?"

"We didn't tell anyone, Lance. We both thought it would have been safer to just figure things out for ourselves."

"And how'd that work out for you two?"

"Terrible, obviously." She discovered that she was nearly shouting and had to check herself. She sighed, trying to calm herself. "I never meant for anything like this to happen. I especially never meant to hurt you, Lance."

After a pause, he said, "I know, I know. Rogue already explained everything."

Kitty blinked. "S-She did?" It was rather surprising that Rogue would try to help her out like that.

"Yeah," he said with a small smile, "and she was really convincing, too."

She was quite touched that her roommate would go out of her way to help her like this, particularly knowing that Rogue disliked Lance, and that he disliked her, too. For a brief moment, there appeared to be a glimmer of light at the end of the dark tunnel. All she had ever wanted was for those two to get along—to make things easier and much less strained.

"Kitty," Lance said, breaking the silence when she didn't respond, "can you forgive me? I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, but I was so confused. I had actually thought that you two had planned the whole thing in order to embarrass me or get back at me or something."

"Like I would ever do that," she muttered.

He shrugged, pacing. "I guess I am just used to being disappointed. And, with you, since it hasn't happened yet, I keep anticipating it coming."

She pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Well, stop trying to find excuses to break us up then. I'm not going anywhere, Lance. So, get over yourself."

He paused, as if trying to find some response. Then he chuckled.

Kitty crossed her arms over her chest. Her pain had turned into anger and frustration, but she had managed to be nothing but serious through the whole thing. She didn't know what he could be finding so funny about all of this. "Why are you laughing?" she demanded.

"Because only you could really put me in my place," he answered.

"Lance, I-" she began, but was suddenly cut off when he pulled her into an embrace.

A blush crept across her cheeks, but he continued to hold her close. Her lips curled upward into a smile and she buried her face into his chest, breathing him in and relaxing into his arms.

"This is how it should be, Kitty," he whispered. "We get each other. And, even if it takes forever, I swear I'll make it up to you."

Kitty giggled, happy that everything seemed to turn out fine despite the crazy confusion. "Well, you better get started."


End file.
